“DEATH OF HITLER”

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 September 1940, Page 8

“DEATH OF HITLER”

ACT IN FLORIDA SHOW. Charles Duggan is one of , the wealthiest men in America. No, he hasn’t made his fortune out of oil, banking, or big business.' Mr Duggan has amassed his riches because of crocodiles. Several years ago, when a lad, he began selling ladies’ handbags in a small-town store. Quickly he realised the value of crocodile skin, and determined to try his hand breeding the dangerous creatures. .Soon he began a farm. As the number of creatures grew, so did the business. Handbag manufacturers and film studios were very keen to make use of Duggan’s reptiles. In the “Tarzan” films you ■ have seefl their menacing jaws constantly miss the hero’s legs by inches—and’ every appearance means a’ large • sum pf money in their owner’s’pocket. Breeding became a tame business, so Mr Duggan determined to try his hand at wrestling with crocodiles. Now he gives several shows a day in a huge tank at Florid tr. - - By far the most successful of Duggan’s shows is “The-Death of Hitler.” A huge Negro strides into the arena carrying a stuffed figure of Hitler. Then amid cheers, the Negro hurls the effigy into the tank. . There follows , a scuffling and’thrashing of the water into foam, the reptiles tear at the figure of Hitler until it is rt- ■ duced to straw. Then they go tq sleep. ■ . '■