Lithuanian Sword Swallower & Fire-Eater, Otto Butkus
Otto was born 21 May 1929 in small town of Rėzgaliai. He arrived on the ship Goya , 26 May 1950. He worked as a cabinet maker in Adelaide before becoming a professional sword-swallower and fire eater. While living in a DP camp in Hamburg, he began a correspondence course. The books didn’t tell him about sword-swallowing, so he threw them away and began to teach himself. He also began learning fire eating the same way but finished teaching himself. It took him two years before he was able to push a sword down his mouth without feeling nauseous. He was the star attraction in live entertainment shows in hotels in Sydney. He used to swallow 27-inch swords until a doctor told him the points were bumping the pit of his stomach. He reduced the swords to 24 inches. He would get a sore throat after swallowing swords a dozen times a week. He wouldn’t swallow a sword after a heavy meal, as it might make him sick. One al...