Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-24
CELEBRATED MIDGETS.
SOME DIM'NUTNF MEN AND WOMEN
WHO ACHIEVED FAME


Dwarf Who Killed His Man In . Duel.
A Short Pole with . Long Name and
TitIe-our Own Tom Thumb and the
"Matron In Miniature"-Huldah Bump.
Sir Godfrey Hudson Is used for the genesis
Of this article, not because he was the smallest
Of the long list Of n,idgets who have appeared
| upon the stage OF action during the past 800
years. but for the reason that he Is the earliest
Of which authentic record has been preserved.
He was born in the year 1919, at Oakham,
Rutlandshire, England He first attracted
the attention OF the Duke Of Buckingham in
1928 he being then years old and but eight
cen inches high
Little Godfrey, or jeffrey, as 1t Is some
times written. remained in the service Of the
duke until the time OF the tour Of Charles
King of England, through the different shires
after his marriage With Maria Henrietta
When the hing and his new bride visited
Buckingham, In order to servo their ajesties
with unique surprise Godfrey, the dwarf,
was incased In large cold pie and served at
dinner. much to the delight Of the royai Wis
itors.
IKE DUEL ON EOESEbACk-
Her majesty was SO pleased with the pran3
Of the little elf that she was allowed to take
him with her to London. Soon after this
event he began to grow rapidly and soon shot
up to three feet; a calamity which he charac-
tertsticaIly claimed was due to royal feeding
Still he retained his position as court dwarf
under the suggestive nazne OF Lord Mtnimus;
Was present upon all state occasions and knew
more, perhaps, O; the affairs Of the govern
ment than the kings ministers themselves
He was sent to France to bring an attend
ant for the queen, she being q native Of that
country. While ON this errand, thinking
hinasef dwarf Of considerable Importance
he formed the acquaintance Of Mr.. Crofts, q
young man Of high social standing and posi-
ton In France, who leased the poor little
dwarf beyond the bounds Of reason. Being a
courtier when at homs be naturally resented
the treatment of young Crafts, which finally
became unbearable, resulting in challenge
from the dwarf
When Crofts and his friends appeared at
the scene Of rendezvous Crofts was armed
with squirt gun filed with muddy water.
This enraged the little Englshnlan to the ex-
tent that real duel followed, the partici-
pants being mounted on horseback, which put
them moro on level Crofts fell dead at the
first fire.
The remainder Of the adventurous life of
Hudson reads like a romance. He was for
some time a slave in Barbary; afterwards,
upon his return 70 England, a captain in the
royal army. In 1854 be accompanied the
queen on visit to France, but after the be-
stowal of ell this royal honor upon him he
was sent as a prisoner to Gatehouse, West
minister, having been suspected OF being privy
to the poplsh plot. He died at the Gatehouse
prison in his esd year.
BoROwLAsKI AND THUMB.
Count Joseph BorowlasH was Pole. He
was born in the year 1889; he came of fam
lily Of six children, Of which every other one
were dwarfA The first Of the family was
son feet and inches high; then came an
other who was feet in his stockings after be
had attained mans estate; next came joseph.
the subject Of this sketch, who was but 81
inches high on his twenty-frst birthday; Of
the three that followed Joseph the first and
last were of ordinary proportions the middle
one being dwarfess, who died at the age Of
90, being then but 90 inches tall Joseph
became celebrated for his remarkable lon
gevity as well as for the brevfty Of his stature,
he living to the advanced age Of &C. After
his tour through England be visited his ma
tive land, but returned two years later to the
British Isles, married lady Of ordinary size,
raised largo family and died at Banks cot
tage, near Durham, In 1887.
About five years after the death Of Borrow
lasld, in 1s42, Tom Thumb. the most cele-
brated dwarf Of modern times, although not
the smallest by aAy means, began his trium-
plant march under the auspices Of his patron
saint, P. T. Barnum. Toms real name was
Charles Stratton. he was born in 1888, and
was therefore but years of age when put on
exhibition at Barnums museum, New York
city. He weighed twelve pounds when first
exhibited, soon became famous, and made his
first trip to England IN 1874, believe, but it
may have been O year or two later. He grew
but very little until after the end of his fif
tenth year, then grew until be was %. AT
the age Of 80 he began to ''fin out, and dur
ing his last trip west, In 1888, he stated his
weight to be seventy poundsl Not much of
"midget, sure. he died at his summer resi-
dence, near Middleboro, Mass, July Is, 1888,
aged IS.
THE WARREN SISTERS.
Mrs. Tom Thumb, the wife Of the subject
Of the foregoing, was, before she attracted the
attention Of her husbands patron saint, little
Betsy Bump. When put on exhibition be-
side her future husband, at the New York
museum, she adopted Iavina Warren as
stage name. She was married to the little
general at Grace church, New York city, in
1868, and was. therefore, Just twenty years
wife
Mrs. Stratton, when young, weighed any
where from fifteen to thirty pounds. As age
advanced she became quite portly, and
weighed, when she made the last trip west,
not less than fifty pounds Robust health,
general portlines combined with a natural
rotund figure, gave her quite q motherlv ap-
pearance, which earned for her the sobriquet
Of the "Matron in Miniature"
q After mourning the death Of the renowned
Tom for year and nine months, Mrs, STRAIT
ton tried abbreviated patTimoDy second
time by union with Count Primo Magri,
April 8, 1854 The count is but thirty-two
inches in height and weighs less than bis min
isture bride. Like hor first marriage, this
second one was also performed In Ne" York
city at the Church Of the Holy Trinity, Rev.
DR.. Watkins Officiating.
Since her second marriage the late Mrs
Thumb has settled down to the enjoyment OF
an nviable rcputation; but few inklings os
her everyday lifs are given to the public.
Minnie Warren was another celebrated
dwaTfess She was sister to Mrs Tom
Thumb and befufe being put on exhibition
beside hsr sister was plain Huldah Bump.
Minnie was soI2s ten years younger than
Mrs. Thumb and weighed - pounds She
~ss born on the Bump homestead, two miles
out from siNjlsso-o Center, Mass, and
early began &c show business She was mar
ried 10 Maj Ee~en in ls- aud died July q.