The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-04-24
HUGO, THE s FEET a
CIRCUS GIANT, DEAD
End Came in Hotel in New York from
Heart Trouble After an Illness
of Several Days.

of Several Days.
NEW YORK, April 24.-The tower
ing, sallow faced man whom thousands
of visitors to freak hall at the Bar
mum & Bailey circus in Madison
Square Garden viii remember seeing
billed as Hugo, the French Giant, -
died at 4.30 o clock yesterday morn
ing at the Hotel Preston, 363 Fourth
avenue, across the street from the rear
entrance to the Garden.
! Hugo had been suffering from heart
| trouble for some time, but was able
| to appear in freak hall and take part
twice a day in the parade of freaks
around the arena Immediately after
the opening pageant. At the wedding
| of two of the circus midgets, Miss
| Elsie Rcineking and Joseph Francis
| Short, in the middle ring Of the cir
Gus a week ago last night, Hugo, wear
ing his familiar tall hat and lengthy
/ black fToek suit, was best man, but
| his illness prevented him from stay
ing throughout the wedding supper,
! served in freak hall later.
I The giant came YEARLY into, the
i Garden for the performance last Mon
day afternoon, but had been in freak
Y hall only short time when he tried
I to make known in Italian and French
1 he knew no Engish-that he want
ed to 90 back to his hotel. \ midget
known as Baron Paucci finally was
summoned to act as interpreter, and
the circus management thereupon had
; DR.. J. F. Manley, the physician who
travels with the circus, examine tn,
giant and then accompany him bach
; TO his hotel.
Hugo was appearing for the first
time in America during the present
= engagement at the Garden. Although
billed as d" Hugo, the French Giant,
he was born in Italy forty-sevel
years ago. and he was a younger
brother of the original "Hugo, the
French Giant, who for a year OF
more has been living in Europe. but
= for many years before that was ex
d, hibited annually at the Garden aut
then travelled the length and breadth
of the country with the Barnum 4
: Bailey company. The original Huge
was not quite so tall as his brother.
j The Hugo who died yesterday meas
ured feet inches The amount Oh
. food he would consume at a meal wa.
; constant source of amazement. ever
. to circus men accustomed to unusua
happenings. Eight or ten eggs, a tloz
: dishes in proportion made up his regu
j, lar morning meal and the size of tn,
! two meals he sat down to later in tn,
: day was even more generous. He wQull
, amuse circus patrons standing aroun,
: his platform by passing a half doIla
: through his finger ring or cover a sill
yer dollar with the ball of his thumb
feats which the original Hugo per
formed for wears before him in freal
hall.
His lack of knowledge of EnglisI
. and his increasing illness combined t
make Hugo a lonesome and patheti
figure among his surroundings of cir
. Gus tinsel at the Garden during tn
last two weeks or more. The tin,
: Baron Paucci was the only member o
= the circus organization with whom h
could converse, and the only time
glimmer of a smile would tighten n
: the eaunt features of Hugo would b
; at those moments when freak hall wa
: free Of visitors, thus enabling him t
: prop the midget up on his enormou
knee and have an old home talk il
Italian.
When the giant came to the Hote
Il Preston recently it was necessary t.
place three of the hotel beds side b
= SIDE ana arrange the bedcIotheS ant
. pillows so Hugo could lie DIAGONAL,
= across the three beds. Good hearte
e circus performers tried to comfort tn
= giant during his last illness and som
of them were with him when he died
Nobody around the circus kney
> Hugo s real name. The circus manage
ment will take charge of the funera
g arrangements and pay the attendan
: bills and will bury Hugo in Greenwoo
=, cemetery tomorrow. A special coti
Il will, of course, have to be made. an
as the ordinary sized hearse is out D
e the question. it is probable that a me
4 tor truck win have to be used to talk
! the body to the cemetery.