 Wait...that's not him! That's Joe Exotic from Netflix's Tiger King. When can we binge the story of Lawrence "Whitey" Benedict and George the Lion on Netflix? Not in the foreseeable future. So let me tell you about what I learned about Lancaster's very own Lion King... Lawrence Benedict always wanted to own a lion. When Benedict heard the story of George, a playful lion cub that was up for adoption, he made a phone call to the Oklahoma City Zoo Director Warren D. Thomas. George was refused admission to the zoo, because they already had too many lions. George was doing time in an Oklahoma City jail cell for tearing up his previous owner's draperies and upholstered furniture. Fortunately, Benedict was chosen over 2,100 applications and bailed George out of jail for $150. The lion arrived on train a few days later. High Companies furnished a concrete and steel cage which was placed at his new home: the 245 Park Ave Car Wash and Automatic Laundry. Everyone was happy except Mrs. Benedict, who declared with certainty, "I won't feed the lion." The then 65-lb lion cub had quite an appetite, he ate four pounds of horse meat for his first meal. Although the City fathers had rules for pigeons, chickens and dogs, they had overlooked a lion. I wonder if there is a law in the books today.
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