OUR BENEFACTORS
THE BALLYHOO
CONGRESS OF THE ODD
LEN AND ERNIE – Two Boys, One Head
On July 7th, 1931 in Winnipeg, Manitoba Ernie Defort was born with a parasitic twin attached at to his sternum.
Ernie’s brother consisted of a headless rudimentary body with two arms and two legs. As such, Erie was billed as being ‘Two Boys with One Head’. Ernie’s twin was even given a name, and together they were often billed as ‘Len and Ernie’ or sometimes ‘Lester and Ernie’. The body was actually quite well formed with two arms and legs as well as two livers and a set of kidneys.
Ernie’s short career was mostly limited to Canadian appearances with Conklin Shows. In 1942 Ernie’s health began to be an issue due to the continued growth of his brother.
At the age of 12, the decision was made to amputate Len. Ernie was not pleased with the idea as he was very emotionally attached to his brother. He once was even quoted as saying then when spanked, he would prefer the bottom of his brother take the brunt.
He was taken to the famous Mayo Clinic in Rochester in December of 1943 where ‘Len’ was amputated by renown surgeon and sarcoma specialist Dr. Henry Meyerding, known more for his cancer research then parasitic twin separation.
Dr. Meyerding observed that Ernie was an ‘unusually strong and intelligent boy’ stating that his intelligence at 12 was more on par with a 19 year old. Furthermore, the Dr. claimed that Ernie would be ready to return to school ‘in four to six weeks’.
Ernie physically survived the more than two hour operation and reportedly suffered depression and some psychological problems after the loss of the parasitic twin he regarded as a brother. However he eventually came to terms with his loss and went on to live a full and well adjusted life, without the companionship of his ‘little brother’.
Frank Conklin believes that Ernie was married later in life and would sometimes return to the Carnival later in life with his family.
image: A reproduction of a 1936 photo card sold at a Coklin date in Vancouver.
To learn more about Ernie and other Human Marvels purchase American Sideshow.
© 2006 – 2008, J Tithonus Pednaud. All rights reserved.
RECOMMENDED READING
American Sideshow: An Encyclopedia
Freak Show: Presenting Human Oddities for Amusement and Profit
Sideshow U.S.A.: Freaks and the American Cultural Imagination
Freaks, Geeks, and Strange Girls
Pickled Punks & Girlie Shows: A Life Spent on the Midways of America
The Lives and Loves of Daisy and Violet Hilton: A True Story of Conjoined Twins
The Circus Age: Culture and Society under the American Big Top
Freakery: Cultural Spectacles of the Extraordinary Body
James Taylor's Shocked and Amazed: On & Off the Midway
THE AUTHOR
J Tithonus Pednaud has dedicated this site to highlighting the remarkable lives of those born exceedingly different. These so-called freaks and human oddities stand as uplifting testaments to human spirit and serve as inspiring examples of human tenacity.
14 Responses to “LEN AND ERNIE – Two Boys, One Head”
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This might be the saddest one you’ve written about.
I agree…I think it’s the picture of the little boy with his “brother”–something about the expression on his face.
Aw, poor kid. I wonder what they did with his ‘brother’…
Thank God we live in the days where medical procedures are more readily available with a high success rate. If I had a child born like that I would have the seperation done ASAP so the kid could grow up normal.
Those days must have been horrible for these people who lived as sideshow freaks. They are humans who just went a bit wrong in the womb.
I believe you have missed the point of this article entirely.
Ernie looks so sweet, and it looks like he’s holding his brother’s hand.
I find this story so depressing. Despite him being born with a parasitic twin, he loved his brother. I find it fascinating none-the-less.
Agree with J Tithonus Pednaud. I found it fascinating, enlightening and not sad at all. In fact if anything I would say slightly on the happy side of neutral.
There’s something lost in explaining the subtext. Why do I get the feeling that many of your readers are missing the point of the site entirely?
Aaw, I think it’s aboslutely precious that he loved his “little brother”. Being a sympathetic person, I do find it a bit sad, but at awe nonetheless. Ernie supposedly had the intelligence of a 19 year old! And when you think about it, if every person is born with a soul, did Len’s soul connect with Ernie just as their body had? It’s very fascinating, and I will always have an inspiring fascination with people like this.
He was from my hometown! It is always a surprise to see Winnipeg in articles like this. This is a sad tale, but I am glad that he did not die in the procedure and lived a long life. That is all that counts. Also, thanks to Stumbleupon for bringing me here.
Is he still alive?
I mean this is one of the most modern cases that I’ve come across yet there’s little mention of what happened later in his life.
Many times, with the removal of a parasitic twin, people argue weather removing it would be a murder.