MEN AND MENAGERIE

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 678, 1 December 1909, Page 8

MEN AND MENAGERIE

t LIBEL ACTION. TrTE SUPEWNTENDENT IN THE BOX. t 'treatment and deaths ' Heaiuig of tho libel acboa,> Arthur y Bert < ling, was contmued mHhe Supremo Court yostorday, beforo Mr* Justice Ohapuun and o, jury. Plaintiff, who was headko»por at the ' Wellington Zoo, sought to recover U!sfl damages from tho defendant, enponntenipnt at the Zoo, for alleged libel contained u a letter, which set out that Arthur had been dismissed from tho employ of the City Council "for his gross incompetence, neglectful, *and careless ways, and miscjuef-making." Mi., Pethendc appeared for plaintiff, Thomas 1 Wtfham irthur, and Mr. Sharp for defen- , dank Albert Ernest Louis Bertling. Testimony of an M P, * / Charles A. C Hardy, M P for Sebryn, stated i that he first saw Arthur foui or fivo years ago on the Midland railway works, eni gaged in bridge building. Having been im pressed with a enre of a hoTse accomplished by Arthur, witness engaged him to look after his stocki Arthur was a gTeat holp>about tho ■store, and a dozen cats would somctimee follow 'him about the yard He had gi\en an old 1 horso a new lease of life, and was particularly y land to a big mastiff and to the Irish terriers t Ho had a way of mastering the animals, without bemg cruel to them <- James Hcber Omerod, electrical engineer at the Hotel Cecil, stated that he kneit Arthtrr as keeper at Blackpool, where there was a largo inenagone and aqnnnum Tip could speak of his ability and good character , ' ' The Eattles^hafFell" 1 - * Bichaid Henry Jackson said that he had been in the employ of tho Wellington City , Corporation for six years, seven months ot '. which wore spent nt the Zoo He had been J , in charge of the birds, and tboy thrived Those ■were no deaths until Bertling caine, when a ' change of food was insisted upon He be Jiovrd that tho trouble was that they got too x much hard food. The iguanas died of starvation Bertling forced a nine inch flat pile bej/tween their jaws, and their side teeth were 1 gripped out Witness 'had been treated 'badly, i 'and he made a complaint to the council, with ,' Hho result tha 1 he was transferred from the " Zoo to his old job at the gardens The garr dens, under Bertlmg's supervision, were" not 'kept clean, and the animals had not adequate treatment Soft food was taken from tho birds, and many wero starved The eagits fell off i I the limb of a pine tree, ore by one, they fell to the ground lifeless" Mr .Vethenck Why did they fall? His Honour I suppose it waa because thoj couldn't stop there (Laughter) v Dental Troubles of the Iguana. Tho penguins (continued witnessr - tfad boon kept in on , enclosure near the mam gate, but, as the result of a complaint <by Mr barber legaiding the smell, thoy wero removed up 1 , to tho stable, ah ay from all water, , and ithoy " died off." Did Mr Bcrtling recommend your dismissal? — I ~\ don't know., sir" > Is Arthur a fnond of jours?—"No more ' than you, su" , Ton say that wooden piles wore crammed into the mouth of tho iguanas'—"Yes" ' What were thoy being crammed for?—" Well, < to all appearances, to death" Don't lot us be funny; this is a eenous mutt toi —" Thej were being prammed to make them eat against thoir will, and, when thoy wow cramaied, they vomited it up again " If Langridgo and the superintendent say that you opened their jaws with an iron bar, ' what wonltl you say?—"l should say it was a deliberate falsehood" ' Were teoth broken during that operation? ~ "■They were," J _ Did yon have kittens in the park?—" Not ro ■pry knowledge."' (Laughter) Did you have a cat'—"No, thero was a cat belonging to the reserve" t, Did you feed it 9 —"Yes',' A > Do you know that that animal made oft with birds, owing to your negligence ?—" No " Was Bertlmg's idea in getting rid of you - to put men over your heads?—" Yes" Was jinyono ,put, over your heads'—," Yos, a 4 * man\naine<l Langridge " ' 'Wasn't he thererbefore you?—"No- , ' l 4 ' Before Bertlins'—"> T o" Thfc Mopolce Annihilates a Friend. Were you appointed head-keeper?—"l was Bppomted head-keeper, and disrated the next ' mmuto" < Iβ it not a fact thatiyou have been handed f round from one department of to another ?—"Yes, foi sit years " J Are not you tho council's "old man of tho sea" that they cannot get rid of?—"I don't know, su." , t , Do you know that Mr. Glon has frequently •> lad you before him?—" No." "" Do you know a man named Brower'—"l know ' ' tsro Brewers (Laughter) Do you know "Budge" Brewer ?-"Yes." ' Was he romoved from Newtown Park at your 1 instigation?—" True, I behave" ' You have been at the Basin Reserve?—"l r r havo been on every reserve m the city " Ani rtffl they can't get rid of you?-"I have i to get my nving somehow " Djd you put live birds In the mopoko cage? —"I put in a goldfinch with a broken wing It wasifinppled, and I thought it was a sin to leave it hopping abont" i * It was fo* feed?— "Yes" , His Honour Tor whom' (Laoghtcr.)—Wit--1 ncsss- 'T?or the mopoke" Chastising the Camel. , ArtfcnT Leonard , " Brewer, caretaker at New- ' town Park ior twelve years., said ho had been in f charge of the Zoo fiom the -time- "King I Dick," the lion, came in until Bertling tfjk I charge. Tho camel was treated y, r and had tho inspector for the prevention of cruelty been about ho would have j,iven Beitj. lmg in charge for allowing his mon to bt t I „ it with sticks, brooms, and long-handled shovels. He had never seon Arthur treat an animal cruelly. Tho lion always looked as if * it would hko to get ovjt at Eertling Since tho arrival of tho superintendent, there had been : > a great many deaths, and the animals had rei ceived unsatisfactory treatment While gather ? ing 6eeds in the nursory witness found a \ ' monkey and a kea buried there. The carcass of a hdg deer had 'been, given to tho lion f < Bortlmg was not popular with his men, but any ! of them were only too willing to work for t Arthur Members of the public sometimes' , asked ciue6hons about Bertling, such as "Does r he know anything at all?" and they expressed ( tho opinion that the wrong man was in the I job. They said that "the glanng-eyed man," , meaning Arthm, should have been superintendent t Cross-examined by Mr Sharp, Brevcr said that poisonous looking meat was gi>on to the * LJoru He know thaty deer meat waa dark, x bnt not so dark as this He would , not havo given the animals such food , Mr Sharp Didn't you have an antipathy to iWZoo?—Witness "An antipathy l What do you cdll that?" (Laughter) Witness added > Iβ had no objection, to the institution i Albert Brewer, caretaker at Kelburno Park, [ #nd that, whil<> ho was working at Nowtown, \a noticed that always avoided ! Wh-ur ,Disposal of the Dead Alexander Yuille, ( taxidermist at Nevtown } Knseuni, said that before Bertling arrived ho only got a monkey and a bud, but, when tho Euperintendent took charge, there wero "a trainendous lot of deaths" A deer died from cold and want of food, and he found it : gorged with food which must havo been forced ' ' into its throat He discovered holes under ■ the tonguo of an iguana, evidently made by i a sharp Instrument,' and all tho teeth were i ° broken On dissecting, ho found that it had t / beeu fed on guinea pigs—improper food The eagles reached him covered with vormin Ho was supposed to get all the animals that died, bui once or twice he had to go up for the bodies Difficulties woie put in his way. s Hβ had spoken to Bertlmg only once, regarding the deer, which witness knew had died of starvation, but which Bertling asserted had been shot After an arpfument over the emu, which he said had been sent to Professor ; , 'Kirk, Berthng called him a har, and witness ordered the superintendent out of his house They had not snosen since Ho had heard that a irnrabor of dead bodies had been taken [ to tho destructor t Mr , , Sharp Did you see tho penguins die?— I "Ko, I would have had little to do to watch [ penguins die, I had plenty to do to keep f. i skinning them." (Lighter) i Wiunot Clifford Quinnell, T&cermary surceon, said that, this year, he was asked by , the Reserves Committee of the City Counc'l to inspect tho Zoo Ho found that there was want of management, and he judged that tho manager was not competent 'Bertltng did not I I report favourably of Arthur, whom witness * considered to be a reliable man, with a knowledge of animals He found no evidence of mischief-milking on the part of Arthur To Air Sharp He reported to tho City Council, but he could not say how far tho council had acted upon tho report That report was not a pnbhc document The Question for the Jury. , L Mr. Sharp said,that the wholl question for thenrj waa whether Bartlmg had a nglit to., i \

Bend;-the-letter-'to 'Beard :in; Queensland. .Evidence, had ; bee.n ■ given which was an - attack upqnißcr.tling/.audvhis capabilities as a- zoo-logist-liad; been : discussed. The letter had been written, but Bortling held that it was privileged because,it. Had been written to a fellow employer! and gave valuable information which H was .'important ■that; he should know. ■ ;■:

i, Mr. .Bertling Called, ' ■; r ;• ' ■ Arthur lr Ehiost ' Louis'; Ber tling, defendant; said that, ho was born; at Peckham, and, in IS97,'he was.appointed-clerk' to tho;London ,/lopl6gica\"Spciotyi-:ia":whoW service ho remained until - ISOG.' Ho was then oppointed to bring chamois to New Zealand, sent-by the .-Emperor.'.of ■■Austria.'•■ He had bred Mongolian pheasants for his: Majesty the King, and was under the constant supervision of the Duke of Edinburgh: president of tho; London Zoological bocioty.. When; the position of head-keeper came'.vacant, ho was examined by a :committee, of whom the Duke: of Bedford was chairman, and appointed ' headfkeoper.* Since coming to Now; Zealand, ht! hart kept tip.his intimacy with the Duke of Bedford,: and, as the result of correspondence with his Grnce, a consignment of 23 animals, valued at about .£SOO, had been sent out, and wero quartered at the /? ? had " al 1 S0 : ,' "i communication with lairo and Antwerp, with a view to exchanging animals. ■■■-: He -had studied zoology, α-id written in (the rAvicnltural Magaf™- ; . He was a member of the council of the_ATOulbir a l Society, and had served on the staff of ..."The leathered World/' •' London, answering qwries;: Kindness . was the first ossenbal'of- a keeper,, who must--always treat the animals quietly and without blaster. ■ An abnormal increase.in the deaths of animals at: a, zoo .would redonnd to the discrpdit of the ropermtendenK- At tho London. "Zoo"'there ' °?j'4 n casM of °<nelty, a superihlentef would be justified in fii w 7r™' &'■?'■ customary .for snoerintfcndenta , t0 teSP I", touch, with one anothor ! .'Hβ' considered.-that Arthur was a most dan- ?«™ 9 ,™V C have > the PIPW, an?he -«h^ I l^- ? f y K, n ' a . h?e or Prom- hie ■ettrenlcly- excitable: temperament: and blnster■■wSi;™r a w??? 0,1 ■to be abo «t the Zoo. „+WrtJ,° n h ?f :had an, opportunity of getting at Arthur, witness would not have riven him five minutes' pnrchaseof his life. Witness, on the other _ hand,, was able to stroke the • lion 4t. : was. witness's, duty, to, engage and dismiss" men, and.when members of tho council wished •j.'s^;s? no^r : i ■ . His Honour: Well, ail I can say js that that ; s_a system ihat is IWv, to, lead to trouble. ,- WitaessrPracUoalry the -wh.ole-of.jtbe mina§emen.t,of: .the, Zoo, reverted: to the: chairmTn ■of the Reserves iCommitfee,-and it.was he who sent tho .letters to me. -■ ■. . .. •: -. . : ; :His; Honour; That is! different. V- j- 'r-.', ',:-[ '; • ■ > : ''King Dick's" Damaged Eye. '■'■■:

v Contrmiing _his evidence, Bertling said that ■ ■ ™™d Dick" ,with ,a gash over one eye, had a report from the inspector of s tne p.-C A. that: Arthur, had: thrSfied SHow many: have'died since he. left?-"Tweri: tjheigiit. ~;.-.' ••' ,- ■:.,- -. -.- - ..-•■ S& ttat-inn+r-six died; W six months' when Arthur was.with yon, and twenty-eight-in ei°ht -Bertling went that,, whenhe wrote' v ,iela '"'n, whom'-were.most fnendlv,; he.honestly believed that Arthur- had ■beeTi dismissed. :-He l was' glad to get rid-of T?'i Ai tte.-Loiidott- Zoo, the mortality, was about,33-1-3.per .cent, but at' Cairo, where-only indigenous, animals were; kept,- the Dericentage: .was .-,.-. extraordinarily ■■ high-about w ln -Wellington. lost --.about .84 animalß\- out .of- v . 500 wnion he considered was a low mortality. The deaths mostly occurred on-:the Beeond or third « a r> f ter,,the.animals'.left the ship;-if they Enryfved; the ;first few weeks, ■ they: usually got on all-nghtv Tho'. ; anim'als at. the' Wellington' /oo: were now :in a isatisfactory*.'condition. A;:^so..notevwould..have bought all the;ani-mals--.iiK the- Zoo : before .: he -.arrived/ and-their-value was non; between and '£M .Ihere were now. about. 300 animak.-.as against 70, or 80 before.he came. : ■ ■: • '

A Matter of Duty

by Mr. - Petharick, Beetling said that he had, no animus against Arthur. -?. n - w "tmiy to the council about Arthur he-waa (merely- doingihie fluty, and the letter to Bear^ 1 was. purely a matter of : information...' ThereV was Tip the letter,:, Had it not .been :for ;himv 'tho WeUin-rton gardens' would '"never 1 . have,received, a collection of-animals from the Duke of Bedford; another'superintendent could not ?have/'jiot tthem. :■ Those : titled' gentlemen':' were .(appointed ..to .positions in,' the .Zoological' .cooiety. because they had studied animals,'-and-mnnj; of-■ them ; ; haci .valuable collections.. -; ; ; His /Honour: Thoy are studying -. the' Budget • just "now: -.(Laughter.). : .-.\ \ '■■ ■■■'-.:.:.

if*;!:;! "'! Who'; Caused, the; Trouble? ■ '■ : ;.'' Aβ - for 'the' circus.' lioness, he considered,i after examining- it,.that -1 would never■ be in robust health.: -He would be eurprised to know that the ] animal was now worth i! 200..;'■ If: the- lioness: had ;been;a' good one, jhe. would certainly have' taken" it; his, attitude; towards Mr. Bates had ,nothine:to' do' with' hia refusal of the-animal, >, Mr: :Pether>ck: W-ell,.who caused the trouble' ,at' thei "Zoo?-Witnessf; "Well, rinco you; ask toe, .lt.is , «7 strong opinion,, that it was caused -prmoipallyi.bjr :-Mr. (Bates.": ;v -.:.:;.•■' ':,.:. ■ "Bertling ! went!oh;'.to'.say ; that he would be' glad >tt>; know; that, ; Arthur. had not -beetf. dis- : ■charged council's employ. 7 He: :bore' Arthur noV ill-feelipg, -arid woold be pleased 'to. see..him .in, a;good as .long as. it from' zoological , work. He had no idea'that: Artljur; ; pi-opbsed to look' for'Aiposition"/in;any:'Austr>lian. "zoo." ; He a'dmittod ,now ; -that" Arthur; Wvap'.'not discharged,' :but -it, was 'his : firm belief-' tlmf-he: was;careless:and grossly /incompetent.«.' Witness had no.'feeling. of antagonism towards.; the Wellington l : Zoological Society.- , :"■ ■:.-•,:■:■.•.:;- :J; ■■:.; ■...■■■■'■'.?/:. '■'■

'■:■ The, hearing of .evidence .was adjounied until ll l a.m/:ta-day;;;v '?-''?'„ .;■■• ■■ ■ : '.-'. r .' '', :■/■.'.•''■■':''