DIVE TO DEATH

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 31 December 1927, Page 5

DIVE TO DEATH

TRAGEDY IN THEATRE.

TRAPEZE ARTIST KILLED. FELL ON WOMAN’S LAP. EY CABLE-PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. Received 10.45 a.m. to-day. LONDON, Dec. 30. A dive from a trapeze' by an artist into the stalls of a theatre at Hillingborough thrilled the audience, though it was unaware that it was really a dive to death. Greenhalge, dressed as an ape, had been performing the feat for 30 years. He jumped before his ankle was properly secured to , the trapeze, and crashed headlong into a woman’s lap. She was removed to hospital with a broken leg, but the ape man died within a few minutes. The band struck up a gay march, so that the audience: did not realise, the tragedy. Greenhalge’s wife, who witnessed the accident from' • behind the scenes, fainted. Blondin once had a similar accident when he fell into a woman’s lap in the stalls and broke her legs, but he himself was unhurt.