THE SLIN GIN' SOUTHPAW FROM ST. ALBANS - … SLIN GIN' SOUTHPAW FROM ST. ALBANS His...

THESLINGIN'SOUTHPAWFROMST.ALBANSHis performing daysdone, Paul LaCross willgo down as one of knifethrowing's best

. by Bobby Branton

Fascinated with throwingknives as a boy, I made theusual mistakes, such as tryingto throw my pocketknife andmy mother's kitchen knives. '

I gravitated toward other interests asI grew older but, in the 1980s, mylove for knife throwing was rekindledby the late Harry McEvoy. I readevery book I could find on thesubject, and one name that alwaysseemed to stand out was that of PaulLaCross.

LaCross was billed as the world's fastestand fanciest gunslinger and knife andtomahawk thrower. He is also a superbinstinct archer and sharpshooter.However, with a full tour of knifethrowing events booked in 1990, LaCrosshad to hang up his knife-and-tomahawkthrowing act due to health reasons at theripe old age of 76. It marked the end of acareer that saw him perform all over theworld, from the former Soviet Union toNew Zealand, and before nationaltelevision audiences.

Almost from the outset, LaCross

seemed destined for knife-throwing!greatness. Born in St. Albans, Vermont,he learned to throw knives in the BoyScouts. He said that on long hikes thescouts would throw knives and hatchets attrees to pass the time. He said that eventhen he must have had the knack becausein no time he was putting the knife justwhere he wanted it.

When Paul was 18, he saw a sports showfeaturing a knife-throwing and shootingact performed by a native American. Heknew that he could do the same thing andbegan working up his own routine. Whenhe realized he could make money at it, heturned it into a career.

LaCross has performed his act at state

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fairs, rodeos, nightclubs, circuses, shoppingplazas and sport shows. He toured whatwas then the Soviet Union on an Americancultural exchange, Japan for Expo '70, NewZealand, Canada, Hawaii and evenperformed in Carnegie Hall.

His television appearances include"The Tonight Show," the Merv Griffinand Mike Douglas talk shows, the"Thrillseekers" hosted by ChuckConnors, the "What's My Line" and "ToTell The Truth" game shows, andhundreds of local television shows. In1983 he appeared on the "Circus of theStars," where he threw knives to outlinethe body of actress Linda Blair.

One of his first stunts was cutting the

(Above) LaCross takes aim while hisassistant spins at 120 revolutions perminute on the "Wheel of Death." The

veteran knife thrower autographedthis picture for the author.

(Left)LaCross and one of hisassistants in front of the "Wheel of

Death." Note the lumberjack axesstuck in the piece of wood in the

foreground and the double-bladedaxes held by his assistant-two ofLaCross's favorite throwing tools.

(Below) Daughter Paula (left)wasamong those to join LaCross on histour of the Soviet Union in 1967. In

addition to the U.S.S.R.,LaCrossperformed in such exotic locales as

Hawaii,Japan and NewZealand.

(Left) Paul LaCross and actress LindaBlairat the "Circusof the Stars" in 1983.LaCross appeared on such televisionprograms as "The Tonight Show" andonce performed in Carnegie Hall.

ribbons off his 3-year-old daughter's satindress. She would have ribbons on eachshoulder and one on her side near herwaist. He threw the knives to cut eachribbon, and her satin dress dropped toreveal a glittering costume.

Some of his more spectacular stunts,some done while throwing two knivessimultaneously:. While blindfolded, he would throw 12flaming knives and tomahawks outlining hisassistant's body from up to 30 feet away;. Choppingpotatoes off his assistant'sbare throat and neck with a Samurai sword;. Cutting strips of paper from hisassistant's mouth with thrown kniveswhile facing her and then, with the help of

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a mirror, doing the same stunt with hisback to the target;. The "Wheelof Death": outliningthebody of his assistant with thrown knives asshe spun head-over-heels at 120revolutions per minute on a woodenwheel (this act was brought to the USA in1938 by Joe and Hannah Gibson);. With his assistant behind a curtainconcealing her body and the knife board,LaCross would throw knives through thecurtain, outlining both sides of her body.

Paul would hit a 2-inch bullseye at 25feet with a lumberjack ax. To keep hisaudience entertained between throws, hewould often spin his Tru-Balance 16-inchthrowing knives point-down in the palmsof his hands. He says it took some gettingused to but eventually his hands got toughenough to do it.

Paul said to throw knives all you need isgood vision, a steady hand, lots of practiceand, he laughed, a willing relative. He hasthrown at just about every female memberof his family: his wife Bea, daughters Paulaand Betty, granddaughters Bonnie, Tammyand Kim, and even his son Bob.

LaCross said that he has had a fewaccidents while throwing but nothingserious. One of the worst involved Bea.

How To Throw Knives

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One of their routines called for her to rapwith her hand on the target board wherePaul was to throw the knife. Blindfolded,LaCross would zero in on the sound. Heheard her knock but for some reason shethought the knock wasn't loud enoughand started to knock again. At thatmoment Paul threw the knife and theblade went through the board and herarm. She had to go backstage and havethe knife pulled out. Luckily, there was adoctor in the audience and Bea wound upwith only a few stitches. .

Paul's performing days are over now butthe thrills and chills he's given scores of

knife-throwing fans live on in theirmemories. The late Harry McEvoy mayhave said it best of LaCross when he wrote: -"Special mention should be made of PaulLaCross. He has performed amazing featswith revolvers, rifles, lumberman long-handled axes, bows and arrows and, best ofall, with his 16-im:h throwing knives andsmall hatchets. His left-handed style ofthrowing is unique."

The author is a knifemakerlknife throwerwho specializes in throwing and otherknife designs.

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BLADE I 31