INTERSTATE NEWS NETWORK
Monday, March 20, 1939 — Two Cents
“All the News That’s Fit to Holler!”
New York City, N.Y.
KING KONG LIVES!
Broadway Belle Snatched by Giant Ape — Army Air Corps Bombs Empire State!
By Marty Callahan, Staff Reporter
New Yorkers, still reeling from the recent citywide turmoil, were dealt another wallop last night when the stuff of Hollywood nightmares came thundering down 5th Avenue. Fay Wright, a gal from Wichita, Kansas, stranded in the Big Apple by the quarantine, was attending a late show at Radio City Music Hall when panic broke loose.
Witnesses say a colossal gorilla, bigger than a ten-story walk-up, reached down outta the shadows and snatched Miss Wright like she was a doll at Coney Island. Before anyone could holler, the beast was hoofin’ it south, tearing up the pavement on his way to the Empire State Building.
Within the hour, the Army Air Corps had the sky swarming with biplanes, peppering the skyscraper with lead as “Kong,” as the crowds dubbed him, swatted at the gnats buzzing around his head. After a storm of machine-gun fire, the big lug took a tumble — twelve hundred feet straight down to 5th Avenue — sending up a roar and a shockwave that rattled windows clear to Hell’s Kitchen.
Miraculously, both Kong and Miss Wright lived through the plunge. The blonde beauty suffered a busted arm, while the monster, described by Army Medical Corps officers as “unconscious but breathing,” now lies sedated in a secured Army warehouse on the East River.
Miss Wright was unavailable for comment, though witnesses claim she was seen pleading with soldiers not to harm her “protector.” Authorities have cordoned off the area and warned rubberneckers to stay clear. “The city’s seen a heap of strange goings-on,” Police Commissioner Valenti told reporters, “but this takes the cake.”
CENTRAL PARK ZOO TO GET NEW EXHIBIT
City Hall Plans to House “Kong” After Recovery
Even as New York struggles to steady itself, civic officials announced today that the Central Park Zoo will construct a reinforced enclosure to display the giant ape once his condition stabilizes. Engineers are reportedly drawing up blueprints for a concrete moat and steel observation deck.
Until then, “Kong” is being kept under lock and key at a government warehouse near Pier 70, the same site recently rocked by explosions. Officials hope the eventual attraction will draw tourists and help rebuild confidence — and the city’s coffers — once the quarantine is fully lifted.
WIRE STORIES AND NEWS OF THE DAY
LONDON: King George VI Opens Parliament in Stirring Address
In a speech broadcast over the BBC, His Majesty reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to peace, though diplomats whisper tensions are mounting on the Continent. German activity near the Czech border remains “unsettling,” one envoy told our correspondent.
HOLLYWOOD: “Gone with the Wind” Filming Nears Completion
Producer David O. Selznick promises audiences the “picture to end all pictures.” Rumor has it star Clark Gable nearly quit after a dust-up with the director over a kissing scene.
AROUND TOWN
BLACKOUT FEARS EASE — Con Edison reports all power lines stabilized following the February outage that left half of Brooklyn in the dark. Officials assure citizens the grid is “sound as a dollar,” though some residents say they still see “strange flashes” near the East River substations.
CITY COUNCIL BANS CURFEW RUMORS — Mayor LaGuardia’s office issued a statement calling gossip about new lockdowns “malarkey.” The Mayor, seen at a Harlem relief kitchen, told reporters, “This town’s had its fill of bad news. Let’s get back to work.”
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