The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-18
MORE ABOUT THE DEAD G1ANrEss.
She Married a Man Who Weighed
Forty-Five Pounds.


From the PHILADELPHIA Record, AprH Is.
Mrs. Hannah Battersby, known for many
years as the largest woman in the world,
and whose death was announced as having
occurred on Monday, at Frankfort, was
born in Vermont forty-seven years ago, and
her maiden name was Perkins Until she
had reached the age of II years she gave no
indication of ever being of more than ordi-
nary size, but by the time she was II years
old her weight had mounted up to over
800 pounds. Then she was engaged by =.
7. Barnum aud joined his show. Travelling
In the same company was John Battersby,
who weighed but forty-fve pounds, and
was on show as a living skeleton.
GIANTEss AND SKELETON Welded.
Between these two characters of such
singularly opposite avoirdupois there de-
veloped a strong bond of friendship, and
the frail Battersby wooed and won his
enormous companion. From the time Of
their marriage until the day of Mrs. Bat
tersby's death they lived together in loving
devotion to each other. Frequently, when
her husband was feeble, she took him up IN
her pouder0uS arms and nursed him like an
infant or carried him off the stage For
one so large Mrs. Battersby was remarka-
bly, symmetrical in form, and until her
fatal illness took mold OF her some weeks
ago, she was noted for her agile step. One
daughter followed the union of this
strangely mated COUPLE and is now the
wife of Officer Charles Huckel, of the
frankfort police.
ALL HER FURNITURE WAS BRoAD-GAUGE.
Mr.. Battersby's leg gave out some years
ago, so that he could not travel and exhibit
himself. but his wife continued in the bust
ness, and was at Fall River, Mass, when
she was taken with her last illness. From
Fall River she had to be brought hume in
a special car, and when she arrived at
frankfort nine men carried her into the
side yard of her residence, where she was
placed on lounge and rolled into her ROOM
which was already provided with doors of
unusual,width for her accommodation. Here
she had a bed nearly double the ordinary
width, and all the other furniture for her
use was built upon an equally broad gauge
1t was thought until Saturday last that she
was getting better, but she had a relapse
and yesterday afternoon she sank rapidly,
and quietly passed away at O'cloch with
out regaining consciousness.
MEASUREMENTS oP HER BODY.
The enormous size of the dead woman
may be more readily understood from the
actual measurements of her body taken
after death yesterday. Her length is feet
Z lncneS, ner DreadUn IeeJ III lncheS, and
the depth through her body is 20 inches
The caSket will be of walnut and will be
feet long, feet wide and feet
deep. No hearse in the city could
carry her remains thus incased, and
one will be specially arranged for the oc-
casion. The funeral will take place to-mor-
row, and Mrs. Battersby's ponderous coffin
will be lowered into grave in the hand
some Battersby lot il Cedar Hill cemetery
In NrJa 70 Fafi
of the body guards will be placed over the
grave after burial, to remain there for an
indefinite length of time.
During the many years of their show life
Mr.. and Mrs. Battersby accumulated con-
siderable fortune.