Death of a Dwarf

Staff at the Liverpool Mercury reported a rather unusual case in an article back in 1827. Printed was a small snippet remarking upon the death of a local ‘dwarf man’ who in February of that year drank himself to death. It was said that the deceased was fifty-one years of age and stood astonishingly less than four feet tall. His living was made by working for Mr. Buckley, the proprietor of an old time ’Freak Show’ who exhibited the petite gentleman and several other curious specimens of the human race out to the paying public. The deceased was paid 5s a week for his near-celebrity appearances and given board in a caravan. On the night of Monday 5th the deceased was seen to retire to his accommodation, (which at that point was parked up in Great Charlotte Street,) going to bed much intoxicated. The following morning he could not be roused and was officially declared dead. No marks of violence appeared upon the body and a jury returned a verdict of death by suffocation due to excessive drinking.

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