The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-03
BULL.tIGHTING IN MEXICO.
The Fashionable Amusement of Our
NeighbOrs Across the
Border.
[Globe- Democrats Matamoras Letter.l

TGlobe- Democrats Matamoras Letter.]
have Just witnessed bull-fght in
this city-a singular scene within mile
or two of the United States boundary
line. The fight was so different in many
respects from similar scenes in South
America and old Spain that l describe it
for your readers:
The seats around the arena are filled
with the elite of Tamaulipas, including
many women, some beautiful, some pref
ty and good many ugly.
The bull is driven into the arena, a
thin, gaunt animal, pale yellow or cream
color, long-pointed horns, short head and
fiery eye, but young, not evidently more
than three-year-old and sadly weakened
by long fasting. He snorts, and takes a
hurried survey of the scene. A picador,
in red tights, runs past him and
haunts red rag in his face. The bull
snorts, runs his long horn, with quick
flashing motion, through the red cloth,
and tears it from the mans hand. Other
picadors repeat the same thing; the brute
becomes excited and charges wildly at his
tormentors; they spring lightly to one
side, binding the bull with the cloth, or
bound up the side of the high fence, be-
yond the reach of his sharp horns The
crowd hoot and yell for the bandarias
(arrows with strong, barbed iron points,
winged with profusion of colored paper
cut in strips). The picador most skill
fully seizes one in each hand and when
the now thoroughly aroused and mad
dened animal rushes savagely at him,
plants the two bandarias in the two sides
of the animals neck, who pitches, roars
and charges around the arena, blood flow
ing freely, the colored paper streamers
flying, and the crowd yelling and hooting
like demons
When the bull, worried and bleeding,
shows an inclination to make his escape
from his tormentors, the crowd yell a
prudus los fuegos eight him with fire. }
Then another brings what looks like two
short rockets, with huge barbed iron
, points, each containing several loaded
rockets, 50 arranged that when struck
into the bull they will at each discharge
drive the point in deeper and deeper
The match is touched TO the rocket, and
! they are hurled or driven into the neck
or back of the brute He bellows The
fuse Kisses. The rockets explode one
after another in rapid succession, envel
oping the animal in smoke. The hair is
burned from the skin, and the skin
parched and burned by the fearful explo
sions, resembling small cannon. Tht
+ sharp irons are driven further into the
quivering flesh at every discharge. Th'
, blood streams from his wounds until, as i
happened to one of the bulls on this occa
sion, he falls to the ground as thougf
, dead, overcome by torture and loss o
, blood. Now the clown announces, afte
three animals, almost precisely alike il
, size, action and color, had been thu
! bated and worried, finally lassoed
, thrown down and the iron barbs pulleC
h out of their flesh, and turned out of thu
f arena in turn, that they were most pro
: foundly grateful in turn, &C., and woull'
n announce the close of the performance
; and that another would take place OF
: some future day. His voice is drowned
y by fierce roar from the crowd o
: "Traigen una pos mantato." Bring il
one and kill him). The clown answers
= "This is sovereign city, and permission
must first be obtained" He bounds VI
the fence in front of the officials of TIN
city and asks permission with hat il
hand. 1t is, of course, given. He an
!, nounces the result. The crowd chee
vociferously.
n The bull enters, is baited and worries
n as before described. A picador seizes
g short, straight, double-edged sword
y makes lunge at the bull, inflicts a
= ugly flesh wound in the neck. He Gil
cles around, and again drives the blad
G down the side of the neck into his vital'
The dark blood spirits out. The Glow
g executes the movement of the staggering
9 driven animal The bull does not ia
u but looks so appealingly with his gres
+ brown liquid eyes at his executioners, 9
u if asking what they would do next. Ii
,; is only terribly wounded. "A rope
thrown over his horns, his head is draw
down TO the ground, and the sword force
" into the back of the neck. The dyln
y moans, the screams of terror and agon
s. uttered by the poor creature are hear
, rending to those having heart.
l.
a Some lOAdOm ChaFiIieSs
' Wor1S