In 1871, it was an offence to let one's dog roam at large in the city of Exeter without a muzzle. Mr. T. H. Stone, the High Street silversmith, was summoned to appear before the magistrates at the Guildhall for allowing his bull-terrier to wander through Martin's-lane unmuzzled. In court was Thomas Ward, at whose instance the summons was issued. Thomas Ward had himself been fined for the unmuzzled-roaming-dog offence by the same Bench and now he was on a crusade to make sure others conformed to the regulation.
In court Mr. Stone said to Ward: I think you were fined the other day for letting your dog roam without a muzzle. Ward replied: Yes, I was; and I'll drag everybody up who lets their dog go about. I don't see why I should pay no more than others.
Mr. Stone told the magistrates: "It is a very quiet dog. It is nine years old, and has no teeth. It lived seven years in the Mint, and some 200 children attending the school could do what they liked with it. I tried to put a muzzle on the other day, and it rubbed all the skin off its nose. Every policeman in the city knows the dog is quiet. The dog is better known than I am."
The Post in its reporting clearly distinguished between the vengeful 'Ward' and the good citizen 'Mr.' Stone.
No magistrate could fail to have been moved by Mr. Stone's description of his famous, harmless, toothless, child-loving, policeman-friendly, old bull-terrier but justice demanded that the regulations should be observed. Ward had his pound of flesh and honest Mr. Stone was fined two-shillings-and-sixpence and had to pay costs.
Today, when it would seem that none of the city's regulations are enforced, there are no such anomolies.
Source: The Exeter Flying Post, 9th August 1871.
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