Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1878-08-07
MINNIE WARREN'S DEATH.
Maj. MeWeIrs wife and Cen. Tom
Thumb's Sister In Law The
Youngest and Prottiest Of Mr.. Bar
NUNS DWarf0.
S,n T,,l,


Thumh's Slater In Law The
NUNS DWarfs.
New York Sun July 2j.
Minnie Warren, the youngest,
brightest and prettiest of Mr.. Bar
NUNS dwarfs, died in Middleboro,
Mass, on Tuesday evening, in child
bed. She was the youngest of q fam
lily Of eight children, all Of whom, ex-
cept herself and her sister Layinia,
now Mrs. Tom. Thumb, were of ordi-
nary size. When Minnie was III years
of age she joined the Tom Thumb
troupe, and for Is years she travelled
almost continually, visiting nearly
all the civilized parts Of the globe
She was forty inches in height and
never attained weight to exceed 45
pounds, being considerably shorter
and more slender than Mrs. Thumb.
She was 27 years of age at the time of
her death. To pretty face che ad-
ded pleasan tdispositionand winning
ways, and she became the fast favor
public. when Tom Thumb was mar
ried to Lsvinia Warren the general
opinion was that Commodore Mutt
would take Minnie for his bride; but
the little Commodore had set his af-
fections on Lavinia, and his little
heart was blightcd when Gen. Thumb
won her from him.
"Never mind, Commodore, the jo-
vial Barnum said, "Minnie Warren
is . better match for you. She is
younger than you while Lavipia is
several years older"
"Thank you, sir" the Commodore
said, 81 would not marry the best
woman living. don't believe in
women, anyway"
Time lesseued Commodore Nuts
grief and he partly renewed his at
tentiops to Miss Minnie. But, after
his first disappointment in love il is
said he became fast young man, and
Minnie, like wise young girl, dis
coursged his addresses.
A few years ago Barnum found an
other liliputian, Maj. Newell, who
was rechristened Gen. Grant, Jr.,
and added to the Tom Thumb combi-
nation. The Major was bright and
intelligent, and he aud Minnie be-
came great friends. About a year
ago they were married, and they liv-
ed happily together with Gen. Thumb
and wife, at Middleboro. Their last
tour together was in the western
states, from which they recently re-
turned.
When Mr.. Bsrnum was in the city
recently, he let out the secret which
had been closely kept by Minnie's
family, but the memory Of the spuri-
GUS Thumb baby led many to regard
the story "a Barnum hoax. But the
New Haven women soon discovered
the purchase of little bits of muslin
lace and flannel, by members of the
Warren household, and secrecy be-
came impossible. A lady friend
who visited the Warrens, described
the little garments as "too comical for
anything." Dolls patterns were u.s.
ed and the little slips and wrappers
were made one-sixth of the size OF
garments for ordinary babies.
Mrs. Newellis described as looking
forward to maternity with great an
ticipations of happiness and no mis-
givings, Her husband, however, had
gloomy forebodings, and expressed
the greatest solicitude. Her death
was great shock to her family. The
child died at birth. 1t weighed five
pounds aud ten ounces Four houre
later the mother died from exhaus-
tion.
A gentleman who was with Mr..
Bsrnum for several years, says that
Major and Mrs. Newell were the
smallest welded pair that ever lived.
One smaller pair is mentioned by
Marco Polo in his travels in Tartary
They were each 25 years Of age and
twelve and eleven inches in high,
respectively. They married by order
of the Khan, and their fourth son
was six feet two inches in hight
There are some doubts as 10 the cor.
rectness of Polo's figures.
Gen. Tom Thumb and wife have
grown corpulent in the last few years
and neither appears SO diminutive VI
in their younger days. The General
has been wealthy, but has lived ex.
travagantly, and spent q fortune iu
yachting and other sports, and pos.
sesses only moderate competence
He is Al years Of age.