San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-05-03
CELEBRATED NUGGETS.
SOME DIMlNUTivE MEN AND WOMEN
WHO ACHIEVED FAME.

Dwarf Who Killed His Man in a Duel
short Pole with Long Name and
TitIe-Our Own Tom Thumb and the
'NIatron in Miniature"-Huidah Bump.
Sir Godfrey Hudson is used for the genesis
Of this article, not because he was the smallest
of the long list of midgets who have appeared
upon the stage of action during the past 3OO
years, but for thereason 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 Buckingha in
ltiIS, he being then 8 years old and but eight
cen inches high.
Little Godfrey, or Jeffrey, as It Is some
times written. remained in the service Of the
duke until the time Of the tour of Charles l
king of England, through the different shires
after his marriage with Maria Henrietta
When the king and his new bride visited
buckingham, in order to serve their maj esties
with unique surprise, Godfrey, the dwarf
was incased in a large cold pie and served at
dinner much to the delight Of the royal Wis
tors.
THE DUEL ON HORSEBACK
Her majesty was so pleased with the pranlls
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 charae
teristically claimed was due to royal feeding.
Still be retained his position as court dwarf
under the suggestive name Of Lord Minimus
was present upon all state occasions and knew
more, perhaps, Of 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 a native OF that
country While On this errand, thinking
himself dwarf Of considerable importance.
he formed the acquaintance of Mr.. Crofts .
young man Of high social standing and PSI
ton in France, who tsased the poor little
dwarf beyond the bounds of reason Being
courtler when at home he naturally resented
the treatment Of young Crofts, which finally
became unbearable, resulting in challenge
from the dwarf
When Crofts and his friends appeared al
the scene of rendezvous Crofts was armed
with squirt gun filled with muddy water
This enraged the little Englishman to the ex
tent that a real duel followed, the partiei
pants being mounted on horseback, which put
them more 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 to England, captain in the
royal army In 1864 he accompanied the
queen on a visit to France, but after the be
stowal of all this royal honor upon him b.
was sent as prisoner to Gatehouse, West
minister, having been suspected Of being privy
a. H. LII n - A. o.
prison in his cd year
BoRowLASK1 AND THUMB.
Count Joseph Borowlaski was a Pole He
was born in the year 1899; he came of fam
lily of six children, of which every other one
were dwarfs. The first of the family was a
son 3 feet and inches high, then came an
other who was 6 feet in his stockings after he
had attained mans estate; next came Joseph,
the subject of this sketch, who was but %
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
%, being then but % inches tall Joseph
became celebrated for his remarkable lon
gevity as well as for the brevity of his stature
he living to the advanced age of 9S After
his tour through England he visited his ma
tive land, but returned two years later. to the
British Isles; married a lady of ordinary size,
raised large family and died at Banks cot
tage, near Durham, in 1897
About five years after the death of Borrow
iasEi, in 1912, Tom Thumb, the most cele
brated dwarf Of modern times, although not
the smallest by any 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 4 years of age when put on
exhibition at Barnum's 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 ii
may have been a year or two later Hegrew
but very little until after the end of his fit
teentE year, then grew until he was %. Al
the age of so he began to I'LL out" and dur
ing his last trip west, in 1882 he stated his
weight to be seventy poundsl Not much of a
midget" sure He died at his summer resi-
dence, near Middleboro, Mass, July Is, 1883,
aged IS.
THE WARREN SISTERS.
Mrs. Tom Thumb the wife of the subject
of the foregoing, was, before she attracted the
attention If hrT. hfr-f - T,afrCu -rEf Iit+Io