FILLIS'S CIRCUS

Evening Star, Issue 9123, 2 May 1893, Page 3

FILLIS'S CIRCUS

TO THE KDITOK.

Sir,—ln regard to the absurd statement that appeared in Saturday's issue of your paper >v the practice supposed to exist of feeding the lions and tigers belonging to unnientioned menageries on such food as the domestic cat and faithful dog belonging to poor families, I must state in direct contradiction that such a practice does not exist with Mr Fill'is's menagerie, that has just left our City, and which has been the means of catering" towards public amusement in such first-class style. And it would seem ingratitude to let them depart without someone contradicting such a trumped-up and underhand story as " A.T.S." writes— I should like to say accusation, as a stronger term—because, although not mentioning any particular circus, any reader of the letter would at once see the drift of Mr " A.T.S. "s" remarks. The grounds on which I base my denial are—viz., that by Mr Fillis's invitation 1 visited the menagerie every moVning since it appeared in Dunedin, and have seen the animals fed on the best of butcher's meat, which undergoes a process to extract most of the blood from it. The animals are all in superb condition, and not half-starved, as suggested. Mr Killis himself denies point blank that any such practice as feeding them on live animals is carried on. Resides, even were it a fact, the trainer's life would be in danger owing to the animals' increased ferocity and natural bloodthirstiness being bv contact with living animal food. 1 should like to suggest to persons anxious to rush into print" with unfounded rumors that they amuse themselves by writing their letters to their circle of friends, thus causing no real harm, and not making themselves .-.divuhu.s in the eyes of the general and ii'lsciWrnarihgyiVblic..—l a "'''etc.,' - J. S. Mannkh.s. Dunedin, May 2,