Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1879-07-23
A BULL AND BEAR FIGHT.
ONE OF THE MOST DISGUSTING
SPECTACLES ON RECORD.

Leaps from the Pit, and Panic
Ensues.
People in Mexican county are ex-
cited over most disgraceful exhibi-
tion gotten up by man named
Marsh. He built pit eleven feet
deep and thirty-eight feet long bv
twenty six wide, drove a bear and a
bull into it and goaded the animals
on until the bear was nearly gored to
death. Several hundred people wit
messed the brutal spectacle. The
fight took place on Tuesday at Custer
CITY, about four miles from Bradford.
The local papers are full of it, and
the Bradford Era's account shows
the whole affair to have been most
disgusting one. Music was furnished
by the Randolph Cornet Band. When
the train arrived at Custer it was
found that there were eleven rows Of
seats ranging around the pit, after
the fashion of those used ia circus.
A portion of the space was shaded
by the branches Of some young oaks
that were allowed to stand when the
enclosure was built. AT thirty min
utes past 2 o'clock there were about
five hundred persons occupying seats.
Among the spectators were dozen
women and eight or ten little girls.
Two men in rt-sleeves nestled
themselves cozily in shady spot,
each with a baby on his knee. The
bear was shambling about lazily in
the pit, diverting himself with paw
ing cigar stubs thrown in by the
spectators. The impotence of the
crowd found vent by stamping the
seats and yelling bring in the bull
THE FIGHT BEGINS.
A long time ensued before the
| fight began. For some reason Marsh,
the manager, after he had taken up
all the tickets, was in no hurry to
proceed, but finally, after a good
| deal of noise, the door into the pit
was thrown open, Taurus sent into
the pit with a rush and the door
quickly closed. At the corners of
the pit above were men with heavy
oaken clubs to prevent the bear from
leaping out of the pit. On two sides
were others with long sharp poles to
| goad the brutes to action should they
be backward in their movements.
The bear, shaggy coated brown
animal, weighing 800 pounds, stood
looking toward the top of the pit
wistfully for liberty. The bull was
trim limbed, with stout, sharp horns,
and weighed 1,700 pounds. In his
nose was ring and around the horns
was tied band of bright red ribbon.
AS the bull jumped into the arena
every voice was hushed and every
eye fixed on the brutes. Duke
the bulls name, stopped suddenly in
the center Of the pit and gazed
fiercely at Cuff" the name given by
its master to bruin. Cuff, after an
interval of few moments, turned
his head slowly around and glared
wildly at his antagonist. The bear
springing quickly around to face the
bull, incited that animal to action.
Duke moving slowly toward him,
Cuff stood up on his hind legs and
growled savagely. Quick as thought
the bull sprang on the bear and sent
him to the earth. Bruin scratched
with all tours and roared with mad
ness, as Duke gored him in the sides.
Getting chance, he regained his
feet and dashed into corner, the
bull making no attempt to follow.
The "second round" was begun
when the men with poles drove the
bull into the bears corner. The bull
made II desperate pass at bruin with
his horns. Duke sent the bear four
feet in the air. When he fell with a
tbud at the bottom Of the pit, the
bull made daring charge. Bruin
retaliated by sending his long claws
mercilessly into the bulls neck and
tore a three-inch slit in one of his
ears. Beads of blood stood out on
the bulls neck, and gore dripped
from his wounded ear. Taurus with
drawing slightly, the bear bounded
to his feet, rushed to the northeast cor
ner of the pit, and attempted to clam
Der out, but was beaten back. Max
ing desperate rush, the bear fasten-
ed his long claws in the top of the
pit. In endeavoring to push him
back, bruin struck one of the mems
arms and sent his claws deeply into
the flesh. Then, like lightning, the
brute sprang out of the pit into
the seats above. A yell of horror
arose from the panic-stricken spec
tators. Women and children scream
ed. The crowd rushed from the
bear in fright. The animal bounded
toward the top seat aud sent his
sharp claws into the flesh Of woman
that was unable TO get out Of tine
way quickly enough. Boards broke
and let many people down to the
ground. The excitement was intense.
The panic lasted for ten minutes.
The bear was trying desperately to
get away from the crowd, which also
was making the finest kind of time
in attempting to get away from the
bear. Finally Marsh captured the
bear and put him into the pit again