Miami Union

September 5, 1874

HESS, SONS OF MARY AND DAVID HESS - Nature's Freak - The Siamese Twins Eclipsed by a Miami County Production - The Hess Brothers - On the night of the 1st of August last, one of nature's strange freaks was witnessed in the village of Potsdam, this county. Mrs. Mary Hess, wife of Mr. David Hess, a blacksmith of that village, gave birth to twins, united breast to breast by a bony substance. Both were males and were born dead, but photographs were taken of them, one of which has just been shown us by Dr. J. Bobbs, one of the attending physicians, who also furnishes us the following account: Both were males fully developed, with distinct and separate circulation and in all respects separate babies, but for a "union" between them. The distance from the base of the skull to the upper portion of the breast bone--where the "union" commenced--was 2 1/2 inches on each side; the length of "union" was 4 1/2 inches, extending to the umbilicus, there being but one for both; circumference of "union" was 10 inches, and the entire length of the babies was 19 inches. The bond of "union" between them was a bony substance, and in this respect was more of a curiosity than that of the Siamese Twins, which was a fleshy or cartilaginous ligament on the sides. The weight of the Hess brothers was 14 1/2 pounds. Large numbers of visitors flocked to see these curiously united babies, and several offers were made to the parents to purchase the bodies, which they although poor refused to accept. The bodies were buried, but a guard had to be placed at the grave at night to prevent the stealing of them, and they were afterwards taken up, photographed and again buried, the place of interment remaining a secret with the parents.