The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1879-02-27
A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
Graphic Description Of q Mexican
Bull.Fight-Flvo Persons Gored to
Death.
I HAD been riding all day in the
glowing heat of the sultry climate, but
now as the sunset hour drew near de-
licious GOODNESS pervaded the atmos-
phere, and let my jaded mule walk
quietly along the narrow trail by which
1 was approaching the ancient Town
of Bayderaguato, Just on the confines
of Sinal0a and Chihuahua in North
western Mexico. On entering the town
passed by many houses that present.
ed no apparent inducements to expect
either comfort or good cheer, until l
saw moderate-sized house, surround
ed by q small garden well supplied
with shade trees, Towering shrubs and
climbing vines, which gave hope of
safe shelter and abundant food. An
old Mexican was seated upon the door
step. He readily granted my request
for accommodations for the night.
was anxious to continue my journey on
the morrow, and told my host that 1
wished to employ a guide who knew
the way across the country to loca-
ton which designated. He informed
me that one could not be had the next
day, as there was to be q great bull
fight on the edge of the town, and the
man that I would have to employ was
to fight the bull; but that the next day
after l could get him for my guide. 1
never find fault with the inevitable, and
decided at once to remain one day long
er in town and also to witness the boz
vine contest with the man.
The scene of the fight was to be in an
old corral, inclosed on three sides by
high and thick adobe walls, and on the
other by what appeared to be an inn
penetrable fence Of a growth Of pita-
haya, a cactus of a fluted columnar
form and armed with a bristling array
OF strong. sharp thorns. 1t formed q
fence, which neither man nor beast
would endeavor to break through. A
strong scaffolding had been erected
outside the adobe walls, to a level with
them, and on this were arranged the
seats from which the spectators could
witness the sight free from all danger.
My host procured for me front seat
from which 1 could obtain full view
of the arena. The seats were all oc-
cupied, most of them by women, and
such an aggregation of gaudy tints l
do not think could be found elsewhere.
No matter if the dress was old and
faded, the shawl must be warm in its
coloring and flashing with brightness.
Young men were there, dark-visaged,
scowling jealousy upon each other.
Some were fully clad, while the wear
ing apparel of others consisted of mere
ly trinity of items-hat, sandals and
breech-cloth. Some of this latter class
of men we're splendid specimens of
muscular development, 1.-the, active,
self-possessed, and evidently conscious
of their strength and prowess. One
especially drew my attention to him.
He was outside the arena as passed
onward toward it. I think I never saw
q more perfect form than his; it was
one that the Sculptor would delight to
have as a model, or the painter would
rejoice to delineate upon his canvas.
He held in his arms his first-born,
which he fondled with fathers warm
est pride, and placed himself where
could not fail to notice his infant son.
I made some complimentary remark
about his boy, at which his eye glis-
tened with delight, while the mother,
who stood near, replied in a musical
voice with her thanks for the notice of
her babe.
After taking my seat looked down
into the corral, and could not but adj
mire my guide, not only for his power
full and perfect build, but also for his
good-humored expression and calm
self-possession. AS he loitered about
in the arena there was sef-conscious-
ness of the victory he would achieve
when his opponent should be driven in
the Enclosure. There was some little
delay before the bull came upon the
scene, but when a large gate in the
adobe wall was opened and he entered
the corral with rush and bound, a
terrible presentiment of an awful trag-
edy seemed to thrill the entire multi
tude. For myself, it so painfully i'm
pressed me that if I could have easily
left the place l would at once have
done so, although but q moment be-
fore l had been so anxious to witness
the contest. It was a splendid animal,
well knit, strong and powerful. 1t
seemed to comprehend the situation at
once, for with q loud tone it beloved
forth its defiance to its antagonist, and
then, with head lowered to the ground,
commenced paving the earth and Civ
ing demonstrations of speedily COM
mencing the combat. The attendants
waved their red flags before it, and
irritated 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 appeared to shake the very
earth, and that certainly threw terror
into every heart in that audience, il
sprang forward, lowering its head with
the design of tossing the Mexican into
the air; but the attempt was failure.
for he spraug 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 seri.
Gus part of the conflict. l admired his
fearlessness, and saw that he was a man
of daring courage that would never
falter in any emergency.
Two or three times the bull renewed
the attack with no better result, and,
every time he escaped the lunge of the
animal, the audience shouted and
cheered Justify, appearing to have over.
come the presentiment of evil, and
having full confidence of his ability to
win the victory whenever he chose to
do so. It would hardly be credited
that the countenance of q bull could
vary in its expression, but it certainly
appeared as if intense rage and de-
moniacal hate stood out upon every
hair on its face, and. the more it was
baffied in its attempts to gore its in
tended victim, the deeper and wilder
became that expression of vicious pro-
pensity. One of the attendants gave
the bull q more severe thrust than he
intended to, when it turned SO sudden.
w upon him that, before he could evade
the attack, the animal had him upon