Death of Frederick William Hinds

Death of a Salterhebble Personality
The Halifax Zoo Recalled.

The funeral took place yesterday of a remarkable Halifax personality. Mr Fred W. Hinds, of 5 Westbourne Grove, Salterhebble, Halifax.

Mr Hinds was known in almost every part of the world as Cardono, the lion tamer, for his life had been devoted to the dangerous and courageous profession of taming and training wild animals.

Mr Hinds must have inherited his love of animals and his influence over wild beasts from his father, Mr Michael Hinds, who on the occasion of George Wombwell's first appearance before royalty, had the honour of being the first lion tamer to appear before Queen Victoria.

Young Cardono was reared in the atmosphere and glamour of the menagerie and quickly developed the fearless and skilful qualities of his father. It is related that as a young child Mr Hinds was discovered calmly playing with a South African lioness and her four cubs.

He refused any profession except that of a lion tamer and was for four years with a large Continental Hippo, performing in Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Madrid and Moscow, before most of the Royalty of Europe. He also toured the American Continent with Barnum's circus & menagerie, & also visited South Africa & Australia.

Mr Hinds became famous locally when, a few years before the war, the Zoo was opened in Chevin Edge, Exley. Mr Hinds who was there with the famous Bostock & Wombwell's menagerie, took charge of the animals at the zoo with great success.

When the zoo closed he returned to Bostock & Wombwell's for about two years, when he retired and rejoined his wife at Salterhebble where he had since been in the fish & chips business. Cardono had many narrow escapes from death in his daring exploits, and was severely mauled on one occasion by lions, bears, elephants and wolves. Whilst at Chevin Edge, he was so severely mauled by a bear that he almost lost his life.

He was 67 years of age.

The interment took place at All Saints, Salterhebble, Halifax.

The mourners were; Mrs Hinds (widow); Mrs Banks (sister); Mrs Ralph (sister-in-law); Mr & Mrs W. Begley; Miss Nellie Begley; Mrs Lavin and Mr & Mrs Bates.