KENSINGTON.—On Monday, just at the conclusion of business, a great bustle was heard in the passage of the court, and in a moment the interior of the court was crowded to excess. It was soon ascertained that the hub-bub was occasioned by the appearance of two Italians who had been exhibiting with a bear in the public streets. On the prisoners, whose names were stated to be Antonio Cafferata and Louis Guarnia, being brought into court, great alarm was manifested by the female part of the audience, at the sudden appearance amongst them of “Master Bruin,” a brown bear of an enormously large size, who, however, was instantly ordered to be removed from the court.—Police constable Champion, T 82, deposed that about three o’clock that afternoon, while on duty at Hammersmith, his attention was called to the Mall by the water-side, where he found the two prisoners exposing the bear for show. The place was crowded with people, and, many persons, particularly ladies, were afraid to leave their houses from the formidable appearance of the bear while dancing. —Mr. Paynter said his horse had been frightened by the same bear at Wandsworth that morning, and he had a narrow escape of being thrown. The defendants could not be permitted to annoy the public in that manner.—Antonio, in broken, English, said he had two children lying ill of a fever at Hounslow, and had only exhibited the bear to raise money to pay the doctor’s bill.—Mr. Paynter said he would discharge the defendants that time, but if the bear was found again in the public streets he should give orders to the police to destroy it. Such exhibitions were a very serious public annoyance, horses not being used to see such animals in the streets. —The defendants were then discharged.
The Illustrated London News, London, England, Week Ending November 5, 1842
