Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-02-20
From, the Panama Star, January ~.
BulI-Tcasing In Panama.

or all the brutal or stupid amusements we
b,va eyer seen we recollect none more degrading
to society. or more void of anything noble or hu
man. than that which is so much Induigeo 10
here, and which appears to be the only outdoor
pasme the people possess. We ailude 70 ''e
cruel system Of bull teasing, which affords SO
much snort to hundreds of our citizens every Ouu'
day and Holyday, under the sanction OF the oof-
ernment authorities.
This bull teasing consists in taking poor, lean
bull or OK, that has been starved for several Gays
previous. into the public square, attaching rope
eff some thirty yards length to his horns, and tne1
goring him witha pointed stick and fre-dar's'ano
shaking colored blankets at him, until ne becomes
perfectly infuriated. He is then let loose, 'he
rope trailing behind him, and allowed to rush
through the principal streets, followed by nun
dreds of greater brutes than himself, his course
being now and then checked by some fool-hardy
fellow, who puts himself in the way Stationed oe-
hind an outspread blanket.at which the bull plum
ges, the man behind ofcourse lodging the blow,i
he is smart enough, and getting a knock down II
he is not: in the former case the bull, meeting no
other resistance than the blanket. generally falls
heavily TO the ground-at times so severely, that
he is unable to rise for several minutes. This
snort is kept up until the poor beast becomes so
exbustsd that he is frequently unable 10 leave the
ground without the severest bcating.,I ali
Were such sports carried on in some open field,
where the lives Of none wouid be risked except
those who take part in the amusement, we should
have no sympathy for any one who might get
burt but the idea of an nflriated bull being turn
ed loose in the public streets by order of the au-
tborties. to gore and kill innocent people who
NAV unthnkingly be in the way,is certainly some
thing we cannet understand.
Orr attention has been called to this subject
now by the facrthat, on Sunday last. there was
a grand bulteasing in the Cathedral Square, as
mart of the religious ceremony of installing the
new Bishop and Provisor; we say as part, because
we presume the ceremony would not have been
considered as complete without it, and the specta
tors generally seemed TO look upon the performance
of the bull as by far the most interesting part OF
the ceremony.
During the performance poor, crippled Ger
man, without any idea Of what was going on and
without even any knowledge of bull being there,
attempted 10 cross the square, quietly smoking
his pipe.
When about halfway across, the infurlated
animal rushed behind him, and before ne mao
time to escape, fslled him 10 the ground, amidst
rours of laughter from the bystanders, who dld
not. we are assured, even attempt TO restrain the
animal until he had given the poor fellow severe
beating, and in fact left him in such state that
his recovery is very doubtful.
Will il be believed abroad that such forms
Sunday afternoons amusement IN Panama OF
that such spectacle can add any dignity or e.
clat to the religious and very important perfor-
nance of formally receiving Bishop into the
Church? fai 81