The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1860-05-22
Sports In Havans.-A Fight Between Tiger
and Three Dogs.

and Three Dogs.
[Havan, Correspondenee Of the hareston Mercury.
The fight between the Brazilian tiger o
Col. Woods menagerie aud three bull dogs
for one hundred onzas (sl ,7oo) u side, came
Oft at tho P1azas de Torps, the arena of The
bull fights OF the city, Oh Sunday last, the
18th ult.
Col. Wood politely sent me ticket Of ad-
mission, and one tor seat in tho boxes but
not having any "gusto" for such cruel sports,
| transferred my ticket to a friend, who has
kindly supplied tno with tho following graphic
and interesting account Of the fight:
At four O'clock took my seat in the amphi.
theatre, immediately in front and within fifty
feet Of the "tiger." lie was perfectly quiet
at titres walking about, apparently indifferent,
to the multitude which was around him. and
TO the noise which ,hoy made. The cage was
about t" enty feet long by twelvs in width
Col. Wood, with great consideration and kind
ness to the public, introduced some circus per-
forrnauces, in which tho Mariposa Butterfly
Mrs. Woolcott, nee Royal, received the united
applause and adulation Of the spectators; aud
he also produced his trained elephants, which
wont through their Iuost wonderful perform
auce, in a truly dgnifed manner, even to the
turning Of the handle Of hand organ. These
performances occupied an hour, when the i'm
! patient assembly vera grataed by tho an
nouncement that the dogs were coming. The
/ tiger, or jaguar, ia about twenty years Of age,
weighs about ono hundred and eighty pounds,
has been sixteen years in cage, is of most
docile and atfactonato disposition, petted rs
he has been by his keepers, he has bad no
idea of fighting since hs has been in "cyized
society,"" but the ''natur of the beast" was dis.
| played when the dogs were brought in. There
was much disappointment expressed when the
dogs appeared. They were of bull blood,
but not all thorough bred. One was a black
and white, nearly full bull, weighing about
eighty pounds, with ears and tail cut, and
head like bull; he looked like dangerous
animal. The second dog WAS good looking
untrimmed bull terrier, white and gray, nearly
all white, weighing moie than thirty five
pounds The third dog was black, with long
tail aud ears, weighing perhaps sixty pounds,
and showed nothing game III his appearance.
These were the trio. had anticipated see.
ing the large bloodhounds of the island, one of
which weighs as much as all these three and
when | saw these felt that the tiger would
easily conquer them. Boards being placed
thro' tho bars Of the cage as partition, the
dogs were put in one part, while the tiger was
in the other. The moment tho dogs were
put in the cage all the combatants became in.
iurate The tiger with the hair on his neck
bristling. rushed to the partition, and the dogs
were anxious to get at him. While removing
the boards to give them the satisfaction OF
meeting the tiger thrust his paw under the
board, which WAS at once seized by the little
white dog; the board was Immediately with
drawn, whJn all pitched n and tho fight grew
fast and furious. The little white doc was
most active, and attacked with true pluck
The tiger vented his first act of anger upon
him-gving him a bite in the back of the
neck which injured him severely, but pressing
on with courage that could not be exceeded
he received another wound which evidently
touched his spine, and he was rendered almost
entirely h0vs lts cons0ol, as le could not do
any further damage; but the bravo animal
was game to the last. While the blood was
flowing from his neck and he staggering and
constantly falling from the injury to bis spine,
he still endeavorad to assst his brothers in the
fray. Gallant, valiant little dog! The ad-
miration and sympathy you had among the
spectators was enough to make man willing
TO die for.
At the time the white dog was engaging
the attention of the tiger, the black nad fasten
cd bis teeth in his flank and the black aud
white was assailing him about the neck. He
did not notice black, but gave black and white
an ugly stroke with his paw, but appeared
surprised at such hard treatment, and !eaped
over all the dogs, and would, think, have
run off had the track been clesr-but the dogs |
followed him up, and trough and tumble"
ensued, the black again taking the flank Of the
tiger The fight had lasted about Eve minutes
and the tiger shove! signs of giving up. Tie
lay down apparently "whipped crtter" The
white was disabled, but the black was en-.
gagged busIy chawing up the flank, and black |
and white eating up the neck and shoulder;
but presently he rallied, giving black and
white rake with his hind paw, which he took |
in n bad way, remembering it 50 well that be !
had nothing more to do in the fight. Black |
aud white was all the time doing good fight.
ing. and when the tiger rallied and raked
black, he was doing good business in his
way. The tiger cow sprsng away to cor.
ner, when black and white caught him by the
under jaw and gave him q severe wound in
the tongue and jaw, but an under hold is not
always the best, for the tiger shut down bis
upper jaw upon black and whites head and
putting out bis eyes, Inflicted n severe wound
Oh bis hcad. At this time active hostities
ceased. The tiger VAS evidently willing for
an arrnistice, and quietly lay down in corner
of the cage, and when the black and white
dog by scent would attack him, or tue little
white would stagger upon him, vainly at
tempting to bite; lie would, after \ snap, or
blow Of the paw, run to another part of the
cage. Meanwhile, the black was indifferent
about more fighting, and lay down as though
faint or dying. He rallied again, and got up,
but showed no disposition to fight. The
black and white would croep about the cage
to fnd the tiger, but he was too weak to do
any mischief aud the little white would stag
ger about the cage, falling frequently, but yet
striving to fight. There was much excitement
evnced by the owner Of the dogs, who claim
ed the victory because the tiger would not
fight, saying be had run. True he had run,
and would probably have run away soon after
the fight commenced, could be have done so,
hut ha was not yhinned la WA in oood con.