Evening star., 1923-06-29
Circus Act Protested.
Helpless Lion Tortured Brutally,
Says Sideshow Visitor.

To the Bditor Of The Star:
The night of June 19 I. with a
friend interested in the cause of fair
play toward all creatures, witnessed
one OF the most cowardly acts toward
SURPRISING even the steer-wrestlins
and broncho-busting of the recent
rodeo staged here. and about which
numerous complaints were turned in
at the local humane organizations.
I am speaking of the sideshow Of
the Sels-Floto circus, camped here
June Is and 10, which featured
Sultan" the "untamable lion." and
his heroic" fight. I car" hardly ex-
press my disgust at those who could
get any amusement or entertainment
out of the torment Of this fettered,
| broken spirited jungle denizen.
AS we entered the tent. after pay
ing our quarter, overheard an at
tendant remark, "How's he acting
mean?" but did not hear the reply.
In a moment a grand announcement
was made of what was to take place.
felt pity arise within me when I
saw the one who so tormented this
creature for profit was a young fellow
little more than twenty years old.
At signal, this red-uniformed
captain" armed with a broom, a
pistol with a supply OF blank car
tridges and long iron rod, entered
the cage.
Before even the show commenced
we had observed the lion starting to
| No h q
was facing his tormentor from the
corner of his cage. Though lasting
hardly two minutes the scene which
followed was truly a hair-raising
one. The enraged jungle beast re-
sented his opponent with mighty
paw sweeps and wrathful roars. but
the puny man had him at his mercy,
for he pursued him twice around his
narrow prison with the bars and sew
eral blank, but deafening pistol
charges. and then hastily left the
enclosure the "victor"!! The "un-
tamable" lion sank down on the floor,
with hate flaming in his eyes toward
man whose subtle cunning made him
powerless to resist.
This young fellow has been ar
rested and convicted in more than
one city for his part in this brutal
exhibition, and seemed plainly to re-
sent our presence when he learned
| our humane sentiments. However.
we remained for the last two acts.
the second of which almost made the
audience hold its breath. before the
poor beast was closed up in its mar
row prison cell to await. friendless
and alone, his next battle.
Fortunately, we did not see many
children witness this brutality. We
spoke to several boys and they were
quicker than adults to see the cow
ardice OF it all. This depicts the
natural tender heart of youth and
the necessity of Christian humane
education to keep the spark of mercy
alive and to fan 1t into the flame,
that beginning with protests against
cruelty to lower creatures will end
| in fair play toward the human broth
erhood. Now that this act is ac-
iknowledged to be brutal one by
persons from various cities who are
termed "sentime ntal.'' it is the duty
| of those who witnessed IL TO follow
| up this case by strongly backing
the various humane organizations,
either through the Jack London Club
Especially organized to fight trained
animal acts) or other ways planned
Iby them, until this lone. tormented
creature is meted out justice through
! the action of the anti-cruelty law
against his foes. For information in
more detail regarding this. address
the writer, care of the Animal Rescue
League. VIRGINIA w. SARGENT.