The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-01-20
.0OF7Y G00FTY IN HELENA
The Gentleman Who Enacted the
Role Of the Wild Man
Of Borneo.
And Went From San Francisco to
Sacramento In a Dry
Goods Box,
Some Varied Experiences which Inolude q
Torn In . Military Prison and Act
Ing ~ Target.

| ing ~ . Target.
| Leonard Borchardt is In town. The mon
tion of that fact may not oreate much of q
stir, but whom it Ia known that he 10 the
original and only Oofty Goofty. his pres
ence in Helena may, coupled with his re-
markabls experiences. arouse some passing
interest. The person who could success
fully enact the role OF "ths wild man OF
Borneo" in dime museum. travel from
San Francisco 10 Sacramento nailed down
in dry goods boz, and jump from the
Cliff House with the famous Boynton. and
do others and divers things, and still live
to reach Helena. is remarkable man. even
though somewhat undersized. Here is his
history % told by himself:
my name IL Leonard Borchardt and
was born in Berlin in 1862. came to
America when fourteen years of age a. a
stowaway on tho Fresia. When they found
me out they made me take Z trip back to
Germany and to America again to work out
my frst passage, before they would let me
land. landed in New York stranger and
travelled through various states, doing what
could and earning what I could, until I
reached Detroit. There enlisted In the
United States cavalry, and was sent to Jetfer-
son barracks, ST.. Louis. TO be drilled in the
manual. After being thore six months, all
US recruits were sent to Washington terri
tory to fight Indians. The soldiers told
me that il the Indians caught me they
would scalp me, so I deserted, sold my
horse and gun to q farmer. and footed 1t to
n tn NhA
money enough to get to San Francisco and
landed in that city twelve years ago.
"Now I will tell you how got 10 be
called Oofty Goofty. I was walking along
Market street one day when man tapped
me on the shoulder. said he had met me in
New York. and told me II We could gst $50
together We could make fortune. I only
had $25. which he took and opened dime
museum with. He stripped me, tarred mo
from head to foot with glue. put on hair,
and laid me for five hours ON the roof to
dry. Then he put me in cage, with hand
cuffs on my wrists. fed mo on raw meat,
aud made me 20 'oof oof.' There WAS big
bicture on the roof showing how they cap
tured me on one of the South sea islands,
while man on the sidewalk kept calling
out: Walk in and see the wild
man Of Borneo. He speaks twenty-one
Languages and understands none. Only
when you say beer he says oof.' The
women ted me on peanuts. The manager
made barrel of money ont of me and
skipped town. and lay six weeks in Ham
am baths to get the clue ana hair off, 1t
cost the city of San Francisco $500 to get
me clean. 1t came near killing me. The
glue had stopped up the porss Of the skin
and had to be fed through tubes. All the
doctors and medical students came to ses
me: When l got we'll | was known as
Oofty Goofty all over California.
ut would take hours to tell all my ex-
periences but will only give you few of
them. NV next experience was at San
Francisco with Capt. Boynton. the noted
swimmer. lie WAS giving exhibitions at
the Cliff house, and somebody offered me
$50 if would make the same jump tho
captain did. Though I couldn't swim. l
manager of the San Francisco baseball
team hired me for mascot. If they lost
they were to kick me. and if they won they
were to give me $50. The club lost both
games and they kicked me and made me
walk back from Fresno.
"One dav ] WAS walking along Kesrney
street, San Francisco and being hard up l
asked man for help. He gave rue fifty
cents. Another man who saw it said he
would give me n chance to earn $40. / ac-
oepted. but it was the hardest money / ever |
earned. The fellow put mo in n dry goods
sacramento. 1t was intended as joke |
the box being sent as New Years present
to young lady. They forgot to write this |
side up with care' on the box. and the ex-
pressman had me on my head most of the
time. II was Sunday when the box got to
Sacramento. and nobody would open it till
Monday. l was protty nearly played out by
that time. Shortly after this man at
Woodwa d. s garden. San Francisco. hired me
blacked me up, stood me in front of can
vns, and let people throw bassballs at me
at the rate of three shots for n quarter. If
in the head they got two. Some fellow hit
me with base ball i'll the face, knocked
mo down and broke nv noso The work
was too hard. SO l quit, and the man
wouldn't pay me anything.
my next experience started on Market
me and showed me n telegram. which, at
the time. didn't know was n forgery. 1t
purrorted to be from the Police Gazette, |
md offered me 81, 900 and belt if l would
20 from Frisco to New York in |
$50 days pushing a wheelbaraow. l got an
Thousands of people were therc to see ms
off and they pnid the man who put up the
job % cents apiece. When l got forty
miles on my way. travelling by night and
resting by dny. heavy team knocked me
and the wheelbartow off bridge into a
CIetHs IL WAS HlkAt dluLl beo VIC
team. ! sold the wheelbarrow and footed
il back to Sacramento where tho COVE nor
gave me $40 and three days to get ont of
town. He said was nuisance. So went
back to San Francisco and thero began an
other hard experience.
"You know tho governments pays $50 for
information leading to the arrest of de-
serters. Some one gave mo away and got
that $50. They cours mnrtinled ms aud
sentenced mo to three wears at hard labor.
1t WAS a hard prison. They set US to break
ing stone. One night lav in bed and
thought Of how to get out. had seen peo-
pie with fits on. So l began to shake just
ike them. They took me to tho hospital,
knocked off my ball and chain and gave me
better food. Tho doctors tried to see IL
WAS playing off. They burned the soles Of
ny feet with n hot poker, a thing that ia
iot supposed to effect people with fits. II
,urt 80 that l cried out and gave myself
away. They put me in a dungeon for three
lays on bread and water. When released l
made up my mind TO get ont or kill myself.
50 l fell over cliff purposely and was
BADLY hurt. Then they let me out OF prison
IN tho ground Of disability.
when all the great pedestrians were in
he six days walking match at San Fran ,
'isoo. l was entered. More money was
vnRered on me TINT would not stay the ,
IL days than all tho others put together.
'ut staid and covered 800 miles and won
money for my baokers. intend 10 cover
90 miles in Madison Square Garden. giving !
Ann Ia, oh L,