Embarking On A Departure
The clock was ticking down to a pivotal moment in the lives of Chang and Eng, the conjoined twins who had been under the management of Robert Hutton. Bound by a contract poised to expire as they reached the age of 21, the twins were on the verge of claiming their independence. However, as their birthday milestone loomed, their current manager, Abel Coffin, was conspicuously absent, having embarked on a journey to Asia in late 1831 with promises to return by January. May arrived, with the twins celebrating their 21st year, but Coffin was still nowhere to be seen.
Anxious at the prospect of perpetual ties to the Coffins, Chang and Eng orchestrated a daring move. Seizing control of their own destiny, they clandestinely slipped away from the grasp of their handlers. When Coffin docked back home in July of 1832, he was met with an astonishing reality: his most profitable attraction had slipped through his fingers. The twins had disappeared, leaving a bewildered Coffin to grapple with the loss of his star performers and, undoubtedly, his temper..