William George Auger was born in Wales and was called the Cardiff Giant, not to be confused with the famous forgery of the same name. He joined the Barnum and Bailey Circus in 1903 and appeared in heeled boots and a feathered hat which made him appear nine feet tall. His supposed height was 8 feet, 4 inches, but his true height was 7 feet, 5 and a half inches. After he retired from the sideshow, he wrote short stories and skits, including the satirical "Jack the Giant Killer", which he performed in vaudeville.
