Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-06

a y a
Of an awful tragedy seemed to thrill
the entire multitude. For myself,
50 painfully impressed me that if
could have easily left the place
would at once have done so, although
but a moment before | had been 81
anxious to witness the contest. Il
was a splendid animal, we'll knit
strong and powerful. 1t seemed tC
comprehend the situation at once, fol
With a loud tone it beloved forth it,
defiance to its antagonist, and then
with head lowered to the ground com
menced paving the earth and giving
demonstrations of speedily cOmmenc-
ing the combat. The attendants
waved their red flags before it, aud
irritsted it still more by prodding it
with their sharp pointed lances. Our
hero closely watched its every move
ment with keen and intense interest,
evidently aware that it might make a
sudden rush at any moment. With a
roar that seemed to shake the very
earth and that certainly threw terror
into every heart in that audiences il
sprang forward, lowering its head
with the design of tossing the Mexi-
can into the air; but the attempt was
a failure, for he sprang quickly to one
side, and goading with his staff the
now incensed animal into a state of
fury as it passed him, nerved himself
for the more serious part of the con-
hict. | admired his fe~arlessness.
and saw that he was a man of dar-
ing courage that would never falter in
any emergency. Two or three times
the bull renewed the attack with no
better result, and every time be
escaped the lunge of the animal the
audience shouted and cheered loudly,
appearing to have overcome the pre-
sentiment OF evil, and having full
confidence in his ability to win the
victory whenever he chose to do so.
1t would hardly be credited that the
c%ountenance of a bull could vary in
its expression, but acknowledgements
as if intense rage and demOniacal hate
stood out upon every hair on its face.
and the more it was bafled in its
attempts to gore its intended victim,
the deeper and wider became that
expression of vicious propensity. One
of the attendants gave the bull a more
severe thrust han he intended to do.
when it turned so suddenly upon him
that before he could evade the attack
the animal had him upon It's horns,
and, ripping the body open with the
exertion, tossed him high in the air.
while his blood spurted out in its face.
The man fell with a heavy thud upon
the soil, and in an instant the bull was
goring him again and again. In vain
the others tried to divert his attention
from the man, or endeayor to rescue
their fallen companion from his terri
bic fate. In less time than it requires
to narrate the episode the poor fellow
was a lifeless corpse. 1t was
a soUL-sICKENING SIGHT.
Some of the women tainted at once,
while the others screamed in terror
and horror at the scene. All this
commotion, combined with the scent
IF fresh blood, wrought the bull into a
state Of frenzy, and it swept around
and across the Enclosure with such
violence aud rapidity that the men
could with difficulty escape from its
rushing attacks. The cry was given
10 open the gate and let the bull pass
out into the stall in which it had been
kept, but the gate-keeper had become
too terrified to understand the order
or to perform his duty, and the gate
remained closed. The nerve Of nv
guide never faltered for an instant,
but seeing tho terror oftho others, and
witnessing the fury of the animal. he
drew his long knife and calmly awaited
the next rush to make the fatal thrust
that should terminate the existence of
the bull and the scene Of excitement.
Once more tae bull swOoped down to-
ward him, and he stood ready to strike
the knife into its neck. but as he at
tempted 70 spring back @ she
bull pass By him before doing SO, MS
foot slipped, and he was at once i'm
paled upon the horns of the beast. and
IN a moment
HIS LIFELEsS BODY
fell within a few feet of his dead com
rade. The excitement Of the crowd
now reached the most intense point ;
II amounted TO actual agony. For a
moment they were spell bound by
terror and gave ~utterances 10 piercing
shrieks and cries. Thsn several shots
we're fred at the bull, none of which
took serious effect, but only appeared
% increase its madness and its ire.
Suddenly the bull, now blinded with
rage and maddcned by the wounds it
had received, dashed against the
thorny barrier Of the pitahaya. and.
breaking through it, rushed among
the terrified multitude upon the out
side Of the inelosure. The crowd
scattered in all directions. and the
bull tossed or trampled upon all who
we're in its way as it rushed toward
the open plain. There were three
others killed outright and several
seriously wounded. Heart-sick with
the horrible scene, | blended with the
people that were seeking their homes.
When drawing near a group that sur.
rounded one Of those killed upon the
outside, above the w%ailings of the
crowd there rose on the air the shrill
agonized cry Of a heart-broken wo-
man, and as the group made way
say lying upon the ground one Of the
animals victims, while its mother was
kneeling over it. 1t was the FIRST born
of that fond father | had before no.
ticed the bull having tossed the
neighbor who had it in his arms and
killed them both at the same time.
| would not for the possession Of the
entire Mexican republic witness an.
other such bull fight.