Pygopagus Marriage

A problem which perplexed a Santo Domingo friar 401 years ago when called upon to baptize a pair of "Siamese'' twins perplexed Manhattan's marriage license bureau last week when called upon to authorize the union of one of a pair of '"Siamese" girls to an orchestra leader. The friar, uncertain whether his twins contained one or two souls, solved his problem by baptizing one with the regular ritual, the other with a special ritual reserved for those whose previous baptism is in doubt.

Daisy-&-Violet Hilton are a pygopagus, a double-monster joined at the buttocks. They say that the bones of their lower spines and hips are fused and that the same blood courses through both bodies. Invoking shyness, they refuse medical or x-ray examination. Presumably if Violet were to bleed to death, Daisy would also be fatally drained of blood. But, strangely, three weeks ago Violet had a bad cold and fever. Yet Daisy ran no fever.

The pair entered vaudeville through the back room of a Brighton, England barroom. Their mother, an unmarried barmaid, sold the infants to the proprietors, a family named Hilton, for exhibition purposes. The Hiltons' daughter married one Rothbaum who changed his name to Meyer Meyers and took the twins to the U. S., where their stage and sideshow appearances earned enough for a mansion at San Antonio, Tex. and a portfolio of securities.

Adult, 26, worldlywise, once named as corespondents in a Kansas City divorce action. Daisy-&-Violet Hilton argued last week that they knew what they were doing about marriage. They cited Chang-&-Eng, the actual Siamese whom P. T. Barnum made so famed that all conjoined twins thenceforth have been called "Siamese." Chang-&-Eng (1811-74) took the name Bunker and married daughters of David Yates, North Carolina minister. The wives kept separate domiciles in which the brothers took turns living. Chang had ten children, Eng nine. Their descendants are reported still living in the Piedmont.

The Hiltons also cited the case of Rosa-&-Josepha Blazek, who were joined back to back, had one vagina, one rectum, but two uteri. Rosa bore a son whom both nursed. Later the pair were reported to have married one man. The 1918 epidemic of influenza killed them, aged 40, while in Chicago.

Violet Hilton was the one who sought the marriage license in Manhattan last week. Prospective groom was Maurice L. Lambert, 29, of Westmoreland, Md., her orchestra leader. Daisy pleaded for her sister's right to marry, for she, too, was engaged.

But Manhattan officials refused the marriage license. Exclaimed William C. Chanler, acting corporation counsel: "The very idea of such a marriage is quite immoral and indecent. I feel that a publicity stunt is involved."

The twins and fiance rushed under the Hudson River for a Newark, N. J. marriage license. City Clerk Harry S. Reichenstein expelled them, with: "Nothing doing! Moral reasons."

Violet Hilton swore last week that she was sincere in her desire to marry the orchestra leader. Marion, Ark. and Charles City, Iowa telegraphed the rejected trio offers of marriage license and minister.

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