The art of sword swallowing, despite frequently skeptical audiences, is absolutely real. Not surprisingly, it’s also dangerous. Though rare, performers have died in the act of entertaining others by gulping down a couple feet of steel.
In 1925, a twenty-four-year-old Ohio sword swallower, Jack Hill, risked his life for the entertainment of others by swallowing a nine-inch knife at a local theater. He bowed, the audience cheered, and he left the stage. Now, normally the performer pulls the blade right back out for all to see. But Hill neglected this second half of the act because he literally swallowed his knife. It remained in his stomach until a surgeon could remove it hours later.
According to the newspaper account, “an x-ray revealed the knife, the blunt end down and the point piercing the esophagus. Through an abdominal incision the blade was removed and except for incidental shock had caused no harm. Hill will recover.”
And yes, that unfortunate evening for the young performer was billed as “amateur night.”
