- Round Green seen from the air in 1921
A most extraordinary charge was preferred at Luton Petty Sessions on Saturday [September 23rd, 1916] against the owner of a lioness which was recently on view at Round Green Fair.
The accused was James Westbray, and he was charged with ill-treating a lion by infuriating it at Round Green on September 11th. When asked if was guilty or not, defendant replied: "I am very sorry. I am very kind to the lion. I plead guilty although I am told it was my man who did it. It shall never occur again. We are very kind to the lion. It is my living."
Mr H. W. Lathom, representing the R.S.P.C.A., explained that once upon a time there was not legislative protection of wild animals in captivity, but today the legislature extended the same protection to animals in captivity as to a man's horse, dog or cow.
He had been instructed that it was Westbray who had been guilty of the cruelty and not his man. He had had the lioness nine years and was living out of the unfortunate beast, which was kept in a cage 4ft wide, 4ft high and 8ft long. In that confined space it had dragged out its last nine years of existence, and to say it was now untameable was perfectly absurd.
Mr Lathom understood that when the cage was cleaned out, which was none too often, the animal was tied up to the wheel of a caravan. As a matter of fact it was old, toothless and decrepit.
The owner was charged with jabbing it about the eyes, nose and mouth in order to stir it up and make it seem untameable. A piece of meat was then thrown into the cage, and then with a stick it was jabbed about the face, anywhere to make it angry.
This was done before every performance and then the public were invited to "walk up and see the wild beast of the forest, the untameable and man-eating lion". In fact it was a poor old creature, 13 years of age, and had probably received similar treatment before it came into the man's possession nine years ago.
Toothless, wretched and bow-legged it ought to be killed and put out of its misery. In any case it was entitled to protection from such cruelty, said Mr Lathom.
Westbray told the court: "I am always kind to it, and it is in good condition. It is a very small lioness, and at present at Stevenage. Then it goes to Northampton on Monday. You must know that I should not hurt it, it is my living. Its teeth have been removed, I believe, but it has its back teeth, and it is in grand condition and clean. I am only too sorry to be brought here on such a charge. I don't remember jabbing it. If you get your living with a thing you would not wish to hurt it."
In answer to a question from Magistrates Clerk Mr William Austin, Westbray said he had offered the animal to Bristol Zoological Gardens but had not yet received an answer from them. In the meantime it was still on exhibition.
Chairman of the Bench Mr E. Oakley said: "In the event of the Bristol authorities not taking to this lion will you consent to have it killed? This is a very serious offence and you are liable to a fine of £25 or three months imprisonment. If you get practising with the lion like this, the Society will keep their eyes on you.
He said Westbray would be cautioned and ordered to pay 40 shillings plus witness's costs.
[Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph: September 23rd, 1916]