The Wild Men of Borneo, Waino and Plutanor, were a remarkable duo of dwarf brothers known for their extraordinary strength and their association with P. T. Barnum and his exhibitions of oddities.

In reality, Waino and Plutanor were Hiram W. and Barney Davis, two mentally disabled brothers from Pleasant Township in Knox County, Ohio. Hiram was born in 1825 in England, and Barney was born in 1827 in Ohio. Their parents were David Harrison Davis and Catherine Blydenburgh. After their father’s passing in 1842, their mother remarried William Porter. Although their height was only 40 inches (100 centimeters) and they weighed around 45 pounds (20 kg), they possessed exceptional physical strength, showcasing their abilities by lifting heavy weights and engaging in wrestling matches with audience members during their stage performances.

Their career took off when they were discovered and promoted by a traveling showman named Doctor Warner in 1852. Under their new names, Waino and Plutanor, they were given an elaborate backstory, claiming they were captured after a fierce struggle with armed sailors on the island of Borneo. While they initially achieved moderate success, some newspapers suspected that they were dwarves from the United States. They went on to tour state fairs across the country. During the 1860 census, they were residing in Somerville, Massachusetts, in the household of showman Henry Harvey. At some point in the following years, the management of the brothers was transferred to Hanford A. Warner, a relative of Doctor Warner.

By 1874, Waino and Plutanor were valued at $50,000. In January 1877, they were performing at the New American Museum in Manhattan. By June 1880, during the federal census, they were on tour with William C. Coup’s circus, using their assumed identities. In 1882, they became associated with P. T. Barnum and his traveling exhibitions, experiencing a tremendous surge in their careers. Over the next 25 years, with Barnum’s renowned promotional skills, the Wild Men of Borneo earned a staggering sum of approximately $200,000, equivalent to $6,000,000 in today’s currency. Their exhibitions primarily focused on displays of strength, such as lifting adult audience members and engaging in wrestling matches with both spectators and each other. It was claimed that they could individually lift up to 300 pounds (140 kg). In November 1887, they were performing at Eugene Robinson’s Dime Museum and Theatre. In the 1890s, Hanford’s son Ernest took over the management of the Davis brothers as his father’s eyesight deteriorated.

In 1903, the Warner family decided to retire Waino and Plutanor from public exhibitions. Hiram passed away on March 16, 1905, in Waltham, Massachusetts. Following his brother’s death, Barney ceased working. Their former manager, Hanford Warner, passed away in 1910. Barney died on May 31, 1912, at the Warner family home in Waltham, Massachusetts. Both brothers were buried together under a gravestone marked “Little Men” in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Although newspapers from that time reported their burial in Waltham, Massachusetts, it remains unknown when their bodies were transferred to Ohio.