Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-26
A CUBAN BCLL-FIGHT.
A REVOLVING SPECTACLE WHICH IA
DIES REFUSE TO WITNESS.
The Once Famous sport Sadly Det.TiOr-
ated Weary with Torture, the InfOrt-
innate Beast is Dispatched with
Common Butcher kniIr.


ated-wesry with Torture the Unfort-
innate Beast is Dispatched with
Common Butcher Knife.
Havana Cor Iuter ocean
At last the trumpet sounded and in
came motley asscmblage first there
was man Oh the ia Of fiery horse
and a very small boy ON very small
pony that Wa, 10 less spirited These
two individuals rode up before the Judges
box. and paid the usual complimentary
address to him. the boy holding the
mans hat while both sought to quiet
their pranCing Steci> After these came
a number Of men on regular kOIinautrs.
armed with long poles that were burocd
at one end Next came half dozen
men dressed taurIfulIy enough to suit
even AN oscar " Hide The silk stockings.
handsome knee brrcChcs of the same ma
teral. and TUNES embroidered richly with
gold thread. lent very gay appearance to
the arena Their hair. which appeared
to be long was done up III a knot on the
crown of the head Their smooth shaved.
powdered faces gave them an appearance
of youth VIII Ch, doubt not, was riCtI-
IiOus
Over the lofty arena was a long piece
of cloth OF some brilliant color. These
pieces of cloth the bull fighters first tossed
up to the audience as a mere form and
promptly received them i auk again
The procession also included three
mules which were driven abreast, and
were 10 be employed in the dragging oil
OF the dead bull
The ring was cleared of all save the six
tFaN- IL, -Hras.4.t hIll b,vhfnrS and tlr.a ..+
the knights mounted on living skeletons in
the the way o. horse uesh. The trumpet
sounded the gates opened. and in pranCed
bull No l. There are always. or nearly
always. four slau ughtcred at a tight) pom
his back was pinned rOsette
of colorod paper, from which tloated
Olorcd stTcamcrS also of pa
per The bull rushed with a snort as far
across the arena as the paII>adc would
permit him To- 20 Then he turned and
started across toward another point, only
10 be again la ed BY this time the
bull fighters got into his path, one after
another, and shook their brilliantly col,
ored cloths in his face Thus irritatcd.
the bull would make charge upon the
cloth. but of course the actor always
managed 10 Jump aside at the critical
moment and So r>.ape alI harm
Then the mounted knights were called
INTO reqUI>Itl"n 1t l. a commentary upon
the deterioration of tho bull fight in cuba
that the horses used are the very poorest
and most dcrrcpit that the whole island
affords, and are blindfoldrd before they
are led into the arena in order that they
may not see the enemy with which they
are to contend
The men wore SombrerOs and had their
legs padded upto the thigh They would
urge their trembling horses toward the
bull, and seek 10 give bow with a
spear The result was seldom more than
scratch, but the bull gored the horse with
unfaling regularity. aud threw MIN in
such a way that he would fall on one of
the rider padded limbs, in iiCtIug only
slight damage other men would then
endeavOr to help the poor. whinneying
beast to his feet, and if this was possible,
urge him into the fray again But usu-
ally the horse WAS SO BADLY gOred that he
had to be removed
Presently the mounted knights were
withdrawn, and other tOrtures began The
six brave" men shot barbei arrows into
the bull neck, arrows that were gay with
bright ColOred Papers in manifold design
There was some skill displayed in this
for the men had TO wait until the bull
was almost upon them. then dodge. and
rs the bull rushed by, lunge the barbeI
weapon al him. of course no bow was
used in lurling this instrument The ar
row would catch in the tough hide and
fasten itself SO ghtly that the bull could
net easily shake il OF. although he would
try hard the while he paved the earth in
fury.
Not having sufficiently infuriated the
htrll EncTial tbay,, ..r,V,1,,ral
which were loaded with explosives at the
barbed end and would burst with ter
rife force when lodged in the hide, tear.
ing and burning the flesh cruelty Pieces
of these fireworks 'ew up As high as the
seat upon which was sitting.
At length the bugle sounded for the
last act OF torture. The leader of the six
bull fighters took a long, thin plIable
sword and. with red cloth in the other
hand advanced 10 the bull Waving the
cloth he would induce the bull to charge.
Then he would spring aside and dexter
Ously plunge the sword in at the back of
the neck or about The shoulders Some
times he would fail in this sometimes the
sword would barely stick into the flesh
and OSCillate there sometimes it would
go through the hide simply and come out
perhaps foot below, looking like
needle in piece of cloth tina! has been
dropped for a moment by some dress
maker; sometimes the sword would go in
70 the hilt, distance Of three feet
At each cruel stroke the bull would
below loudly. but his vitality remained
for long time undininished, although
the blood Was dripping from dozen
holes and two swords were plunged hilt
deep into his acH.
Gradually he grew weaker, but would
not lie down and die The butcher who
had contracted for the CarCasses accord
ingly lassoed him. the fatal point in the
neck was pierced with a common butcher,
knife, and three mules dragged OFF the
body amid stirring strains from the brass
band
| may remark in vindiGation of the
Cuban women that they repudiate the
offensive spectacle and refuse to attend il
On the occasion in question there were
scarcely a do 'rn ladies prcsent, some
Spanish. but the ma ,ority American