The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1889-04-17
CELEBRATED MIDG ETS.
SOME pIMlNuTlvE MEN AND WOMEN
WHO ACHIEVED FAME.

WHO ACHIEVED FAME.
A Dwarf Who Killed His Man In Duel.
Short Pole with Long Name and
Tttle-Our Own Tom Thumb and the
"AIatron In Nfiniaturs''-- Huldnh 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 300
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 Oalham,
Rutlandshire, England. He first attracted
the attention of the Duke of Buckingham in
1923, he being then years old and but eight
cen inchee high.
Little Godfrey, or Jeffrey, as II is some
times written, remained in the service of the
duke until the time of the tour of Charles l,
king OF England, through tho different shircs
after his marriage with Maria Henrietta.
When the king and his new bride visited
Buckingham, In order to serve their majesties
with unique surprise, Godfrey, tho dwarf,
was incased In large cold pie and served at
dinner, much to the delight OF the royal Wis
itors.
THE DUEL ON hoftSEbACk.
Her majesty was SO pleased with the pranks
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; calamity which he charac-
teristically claimed was due to royal feeding.
| Still he retained his position as court dwarf
under the suggestive name of Lord Minimus;
was present upon all state occasions and knew
| -
ment than the kings ministers themselves.
He was sent to France to bring an attend
ant for the queen, she being native of that
country. While on this errand, thinking
himself dwarf of considerable Importance,
he formed the acquaintance OF Mr. Crofts, a
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 home he naturally resented
the treatment of young Crofts, which finally
became unbearable, resulting In n challenge
from the dwarf
| When Crofts and his friends appeared at
the scene of rendezvous Crofts was armed
with squirt gun filled with muddy water.
| This enraged the little Englishman to tho ex.
| tent that u real duel followed, tho pnrtici-
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 q romance. He was for
some time slave In Barbary; afterwards,
p eT HI sSs.'ra n e i E8laR i2RhHl L the
queen on visit TO France but after the be
stowal of all this royal honor upon him he
was sent as a prisoner to Gatehouse, West
minister, having been suspected OF being privy
| l. 1{ai ~ naia q.
| prison in his esd year.
BoRowLAsRI AND THUMB.
Count Joseph Borowlaslsi was a Pole. lie
was born In the year 1879; he came of n fam
ily Of six children, of which every other one
were dwarfs. The first of the family was q
son feet and inches high; then came an
| other who was feet in his stockings after ht
had attained mans estate; next came Joseph
the subject of this sketch, who was but q
inches high ON his twenty-first birthday; Of
| the three that followed Joseph the first ane
last were Of ordinary proportions, the middle
| ono being dwarfess, who died at the ago oil
20, being then but 23 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. Aftel
| his tour through England he visited his ma
tive land, but returned two years later to TIL
British Isles; married a lady of ordinary size
raised large family and died at Banks cot
tage, near Durham, in 1887.
/ About five years after the death of Borrow
lasld, In 1S42, Tom Thumb, tho most cello
brated dwarf OF modern times, although no
the smallest by any means, began his trium
plant march under the auspices Of his patrol
saint, p. T. Barnum. Toms real name wa
Charles Stratton. He was born IN 1888, an'
was therefore but years Of age when put OF
exhibition at Barnum's museum, New Yorl
city. He weighed twelve pounds when frs
exhibited soon became famous and made hi
first trip TO England In 1874, believe, but
may have been a year or two later. Hegre,
but very little until after the end OF his III
tenth year, then grew until he WINS % A
tho age of 80 he began to "fill out" and dun
ing his last trip west, In 1888, he stated hi
weight to DO seventy poundsl Not much OF
midget sure. He died at his summer res
dencc near Middleboro, Mnss., July IS, 1883
aged 45
THE WARREN SISTERS.
} Mrs. Tom Thumb, the wife OF the subjec
} of tho foregoing, was, before she attracted tn
Attention Of her husbands patron saint, littl
Betsy Bump. When put on exhibition b
aide her future husband, at the New Yor
museum, she adopted Layina Warren as
stage name She was married to the lit
general at Grace church, New York city,
1868, and was, therefore, just twenty years
: wife.
Mrs Stratton, when young, weighed an.
where from fifteen to thirty pounds AS az
advanced she became quite portly, al
weighed, when shc made tho last trip Yves
not less than fifty pounds. Robust healt
general portliness combined with natur
rotund figure, gave her quite motherly a
pearance, which earned for her the sobriqu
Of tho ''Matron In Miniature"
a After mourning the death Of the renown'
. Tom for a year and nine months, Mrs. Stra
ton tried abbreviated matrimony secor
time by union with Count Primo Magr
0 April O, 1885. The count Is but thirty-tv
' inches in height and weighs less than his mi
iature bride. Like her first marriage, I'll
I second one was also performed IN New Yol
0 city at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Re
' DIR, Watkins officiating.
q Since her second marriage tho late MI
r Thumb has settled down to the enjoyment
+ an enviable reputation; but few inklings
!, her everyday life are given TO the public.
;, Minnie Warren was another celebrate
j dwarfess She was a sister to Mrs. To
Thumb, and before being put on exhibiti'
beside her sister was plain Huldah Bum
Minnie was some ten years younger thu
: Mrs. Thumb and weighed AZ pounds 81
: was born on the Bump homestead, two mil
Q out from Middleboro Center, Mass, al
d early began the show business. She was ma
8 ried to Maj. Newell in 49, and died July
' 1878, eight hours after the birth OF s
i baby weighing pounds, one-seventh t
0 weightof the little mother. The baby liv
) but few hours. Mother and baby VIC
+ buried In the same coffln.--John W. Wrig
i In st. Louis Republic.
: Beneficence is running stream. II ca
Y dows out of good mans pocket, it will