BEARS AND THEIR KEEFER

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1928, 30 October 1926, Page 7

BEARS AND THEIR KEEFER

'CABLED .AS WITNESSES li.V A CRUELTY CHARGE. "‘The Bear Pit of Berne” is historic, not only in Switzerland, but all c',t.;r the world, since tourists of every country brave gazed down into the fa-sin of (the capital of the Swiss Confederation ait the playful Bruins which have been .kept there for cChturles. ip/jit the 'Bears of Berne have won additional recognition, and incidentally rehabilitated tlhemisehtes in the good gra'ces of the populace after the recen|t* tragedy which resulted in the yeath of a child .and linjury to a youth. For the first Itimfai in tlhe annals of law courts two he airs from the Berne pit were recognised as capable witnesses before the Cantonal Courts. One of the assistant tee peris had brought charges of cruelty against (the headl keeper. The case was duly called, and, as part of his defence, the hje.ad keeper, to the apprehension iOif the judge and attendants, appeared for trial followed by two of the 1 bears. The charges were made and the complaining witness describe!! how the animals, even the two brought linto the court room, had been mis-treated. T/lret usual emphatic denials wjere entered! by lthe deijeince, and after a discourse upon the habits, intelligence, and honesty of bears in general, the counsel 1 , for th)e ; head keepelr asked if the Court wcjuM permit him 'to introduce, as the Jonly witnesses for his client, the hears themselves. lTh r e; Courf, unable to find a reason as to the incompetence of the hears as witnesses, inasmuch a s they were the aggrieved parities, and* impressed by 'the arguments of tlhe defending counsel, consented, whereupon the two animals were led before the Bench. The complaining witness and several othl-r attendants were asked* to come down from their places and confront the l bears. (Much to lthe consternation of everyone except 'this head keeper and his lawyer, one of thjs! beams, showing Iris dislike for the attendant before him. .moved menacingly towards his supposed defender lin an effort ito administer a savage rebuff. Tthle; other attendants he paid no attention to whatever.

The atrgument proved sufficient, and the judge dismissed the complaint against the tead keeper, who, followed by /the two shuffling Bruins, walked out of the court-room.