The daily gazette., 1878-04-16
TEXAN SPORT S.
A Bad Day for Lions.
ENCOUNTER OF a BULL WITH A
LION AND LIONE ESS.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas. April a

The sports of old Rome are being re-
vived with considerable success in this
distant REGION of the world, where all is
new and even Civilization herself is not
quite at home. Although we lack the
surrounding the grandeur of the
arena, the glitter of the imperial throne
and the vast throngs clothed in the flow
Ing costumes Of the days of the Caesars
and the glorious Coliseum itself, our
sports possess many of the features that
have made those of the early days famous
in history. Thebull fight, Spanish i'm
portation, which has reached San Anto-
MO i'll due course of time, has always
been favorite amusement wherever the
Dons or their descendants dominate
things soc ial. To say that we have for
gotten our semi-Spanish origin in this
border State would be to deny that bull
fighting can collect crowd from every
settlement and village within "a hundred
miles from San Antonio. Such an as
semblage has collected here for several
Sundays back. The bull fighting has been
enjoyed hugely, and SO we must plead
guilty TO being only half American yet.
The bull fight took place at the same
place where the bull and lion fight took
place last Saturday. In the middle of the
arena was the iron cage used ON that occa-
sion. The Mexican bull fighters refused
| to fight the bull in this iron cage, because
it lacked facilities for exit.
THE BULL AND LION FIGHT.
AT one o'clock the lion, "Old George .
was put into the arena. He was Il large
African lion who, although old, presented
II formidable appearance. He was very
large. lie had been given u calf q few
days before, which he destroyed in fine
style, as well as several vagrant dogs thai
had strayed into the arena, in which he
had been placed for week past to allow
him TO exercise his muscles. Old Georg,
has only one eye, the other having beeI
burnt in order to get the remains OF hi,
keeper out of his cage in Memphis few
years ago, he having torn him all Il
pieces, At II quarter to four O'Clock
/ Mexican vaqueros were seen bringing tn,
| bull across the prairies. The lion wa
shut up in one corner of the cage, with
circus canvass, while the bull was led il
by four men with ropes.
A FURIOUS BULL.
He took a sudden fit of butting, ierkin,
away from his keepers, and made rllsl
lupon one of them, large, heavy man
| anu W INN W lht SlOAlilil III an III
Istant, piercing the calf of his leg with hi,
horn. The position of the unfortunate
man was horrible, the infuriated bul
lstanding over him shaking his head
threatening each moment to impale til,
PROSTATE victim. a cry of horror escaped
from the multitude. Fortunately the at
tention OF the bull was diverted and til,
Injured man was conveyed out of til,
larena "A huge cash was cut in his leg
L A ncr fnn III hin fhrnnnh tNNt
large muscles and an artery. But Tor tn,
presence of Il doctor the wounded MAJ
would have bled to death.
| DESPERATE ENCOUNTER.
| AS soon as the bull was fairly in tn,
cage the curtain that concealed the lioI
was dropped As soon as they saw eacl
other the lion erouched down, growing
and lashing the ground with his tail. BE
fore he could spring, the bull, although
lame from his previous encounter viii
the Goness, without amoments hesitation
bounded toward the lion, catching hin
under the belly. He threw the lioI
lsprawhng, feet upward, against the cage
following it up by going for him aglil
and pinning him to the ground. 1t wa
in vain the lion made show of resistance
the bull pinned him to the cage, holding
him against the bars as in vice.
BREATHING SPACE.
On the bull withdrawing his horns, on,
of which had made deep wound i'll th'
flank, the lion escaped. For fully tiv,
minutes the combatants glared at eacl
other-the lion with uplifted paw an,
most ferociorls mien, the bull with heat
lowered, as if to make the onset on th
slightest provocation. The pose wa
magnificent. With muffied roar th'
bull charged, his horns holding the lioi
firmly IN the proIInl the bull auDareutl'
Suffering no injury.
THE LION vANQUIsHED.
1 The final assault of the bull was terrific
He gored the lion, and then, with Il toss
sent him whirling through the air. Whel
he struck the ground he lay on his bacl
with his mouth open apparently dead
The lion revived, however, but seemed
unwilling to again tackle the monarch o
the prairies. |
THE LIoNEss LET IN.
The managers, seeing how unequal tn
combat was, determined to add neN
feature TO it. The bull was tied up, ant
Iwhile doing which he made furious ef
forts to get through the cage, the strength
of which he tested to its utmost. Th
wagon was backed up to the door of TIL
arena, and.the lioness which had beel
vanquished last Saturday was turned IN
Had the lion and the loness attacked tn
| bull together there is no doubt the,
e would have come out victorious; but TIN
, lioness, remembering her previous en-
counter, fought shy, and beyond showing
her teeth and striking attitudes did no
Il do much, while the lion was too mucl
: exhausted by his exertion to do mucl
damage beyond tearing the hide from tn
, bulls face and legs.
THE BULL STILL THE NICToR-