Magistrate frees monkey and organ grinder
Magistrate and monkey
The Beverley Recorder and General Advertiser
Saturday February 2 1907
A pernickety policeman got more than he bargained for after arresting a monkey and his Italian pal.
The monkey, who was not named, appeared in the dock at the South Western London Police Court along with an organ grinder accused of causing annoyance.
The arresting officer said: “The Italian organ grinder was leading the monkey at the end of a string and the monkey was causing annoyance to pedestrians by skipping about.”
The magistrate asked: “Do you contend that a monkey has not the same right to the use of the footway as you and I?” The policeman could not answer this and the magistrate discharged both man and monkey declaring that both were entitled to use the footway providing they caused no substantial obstruction.