Many thanks to James Taylor of Shocked & Amazed! and Ward Hall for this info.

"Margurete Clark" was actually Billy Lodgeson (or Logsden), who also played a half-and-half. Billy, the half man, half woman, and Margurete, the Siamese twin, appeared as a two-in-one act - that's why "her" face is covered in the photo.

"Margaret Clark was the generic name for whoever wore the gaff baby out of the belly. Often whoever was available man or woman would be pressed into service. It was generally a drag queen. Jerry Ross worked it on Claude Bently's show, and it was BILLY LOGSDEN who owned one and used it on several shows. Billy had two brothers who also did half and half, and at times was Margaret Clark. One of the brothers was "Louise Logsden" and the other was Pinky Pepper who also worked and at one time owned a girl show. I don't remember which one it was who was murdered in about the late 60s. They were from Louisville, KY. I believe those gaffs were made by another half and half, Cleo Renee who also made the beautiful lion face girl gaffs. After Cleo died (she lived on Midway St., now the house of Lance Gifford- magician) I wanted a Margaret Clark. I had one made, but it was so bad we never attempted to use it. I wish I had a good one now (and someone to work it)." -Ward Hall, 2002

Lodgeson was not the only person to fake a parasitic twin. Elvira Moscarola, an American woman born in 1881, was known to the world as "Josepha, the Double-Bodied Woman from Austria", despite having only one body - and having never been to Austria. Her "twin" was a well-crafted wax sculpture. In 1930, Toronto police arrested Moscarola for perpetrating a hoax. She died in Italy in March of 1966, though I don't know if she ever made it to Austria.

Another infamous fake was Betty Eagley - also known as Betty Embry or Darlene Egan. This supposed four-legged woman was exhibited at Coney Island in the 1930s by Carl Lauther, the adoptive father of Percilla Bejano, "The Monkey Girl". "Betty" was on the lam from Phoenix police in 1944 for kidnapping a three-year-old boy. Others who faked parasitic bodies and extra limbs were Vicki Condor, the Three Legged Tennis Player; Coney Island's "Four-Armed Girl", on exhibit in 1925; Norma Hastings of Coney Island and the Moose Carnival, 1928; and Elma von Lynd, who was with Ripley's Believe it or Not?! in 1936.

Photo: "Margurete Clark" (Billy Lodgeson) with James Strates Shows, 1949. (Mannix)