I watched a remastered cut of this 1927 silent film called The Unknown.
In it, Lon Chaney plays a knife thrower in the circus who falls madly in love with a woman, who gradually gets confident around guys, having always been overly cautious up to that point. But she ends up being in love with the strongman who bends metal, so he basically snaps when he learns she prefers him.
He has a little guy assisting him, who disappears later on. Turns out Alonzo the Armless ain't armless, and is really a fugitive from the law. It is not revealed but more so implied that he killed his sidekick as he served as a witness to his blackmailing a surgeon to amputate his arms, etc. Plus, one hand had two thumbs.
It's a really eerie and excellent movie. Lon Chaney was a fantastic actor and sensational makeup specialist.