The Wilmington morning star., 1947-05-11

ana OIL WHICH CLGIG dIc piStul
Almost unnoticeable in the ar
chieves of the Columbus county
court house one can see for them
selves the records of the sale OF
the twins, object of which resi-
dents back in the middle 1905
blinked their eyes and possibly
prayed silently to God for under
standing.
According to the records on May
8. 1852, a combination bill OF sale
and contract was drawn up and
recorded. John C. Purvis, Chester
field District, S. c. was to re-
ceive from one Jabe Mccoy of Co.
lumbus, twin Negro girls, whose
bodies are united from the waist
down." in return for a sum OF
81, 900. In addition Mccoy was to
receive Is per. cent from funds
derived from exhibitions.
A strange stipulation in the con-
tract was that he agreed to let
the mother of the twins go with
them without compensation, with
the condition that if said Purvls
sold the twins, he was to pay NC
Gov one-fourth of whatever he re-
ceived. Furthermore, the mother
was to be returned to Mccoy in
his event.
Something went wrong in the ar
rangement and another record,
dated September 80, 1858 tells OF
an agreement between the two
men in which Mccoy waived all
future claim to Mile = Christine,
and settled for 5000, deciding them
to Purvis, his assigns and heirs.
The twins were born July IL,
1851, daughter, or daughters OF
Jacob and Monema, slaves OF pure
African descent, belonging to Nc
| Gov. resident of Welches Creek
township, about six miles from
Whiteville.
The twins weighed II pounds at
birth. They learned to walk when
u months old and to talk at Is
months of age. They had eight
brothers and sisters, all born and
reared normally, old timers recall.
During their life they were alb
Quoted three times, once it re-
ouired three years to regain re-
covery. They were found IL Eng
land by their mother and j. r
| Smith, then their legal owner, be-
ing exhibited before curious
crowds.
In England they visited royalty,
and were exhibited before Queen
Victoria who gave them rare glfts
which they brought back to their
home in North Carolina.
Thew we're attended by DR.. w.
H. Croweu. During their last Ill
ness paid they paid the doctor IN
gold, now in the possession OF me
son and grandsons of the doctor.
These are David Crowell. Rhone
and Bill Lewis and Herbert c.
Shulken.
The recorded documents mark
the beginning of a strange life Tor
the twins. Anatomically Mile
Christine spoke of herself as r.
not Eve" and records Of conflr-
nation by prominent sclent1lc
and medical experts of the United
States, England, France, Germa-
nv. Scotland and Italy say that
the twin was spoken of as being
..ioined at the lateral p%osterior
portion of the pelvis, the sacrum
and coccyx joined, and the owe
part of the spinal cord united. Inc
bodv had two bladders and one
reproduction organ
Above the union grew two per
fectlv developed busts, each WIN
two pairs of fine arms, and terml-
mating in two interesting heads
whose faces lighted with intelll-
gence and amiability. Their lungs
heart and the functions OF then
digestive organs were separate
perfect and healthy.
The body terminated In roul
legs. and the twins could walk or
lust two of these but preferred te
use all four.
Above the body union the sense
of feeling was separate and dis
tinct; below this point 1t was n
common. Touch ones hand anc
The other did not show a re1les
action. but if ones foot wa
touched the other knew 1t: so Il
was until the death of Mile inc
summer of 1912 when she de-
veloped tuberculosis OF the lung
Christine knew that Mile mac
died even before the attenolhs
doctor, watching closely new
Christine whose health had re
NAMED perfect, told the docto1
that her sister "passed away a:
in a dream, a beautiful dream.
When Christine started to die i
hours later. the doctor aske
Johns Hopkins hospital in Baltl
more if their bodies could be sepa
Gated. but received a negative re
ply. ,or,d
Negro and white felt deeply the