Daily Republican., 1888-07-25
HORSE wHHsPRRnza,

gdlned over the horse, independent O
ehe process OF teaching or the prompt
lngs OF affection. There was formerly
wing In the County of Cork family
W no laid claims 10 the possession of I
secret by which the widest or mos
Vicious horse could be tanned. ThiG
sc ;ret is said to have been originally
lnIparte by a Bohemian gypsy TO the
/ then head of the family, century and
Ia aalt ago. ard to have been regularly
transmitted as a parting legacy at the
time OF his death, from the father to
the Oldest son. Possibly there may be
rePiding in County Cork q section OF
the family still practicing with more
Ior less success, the art of "hnrse whis
pering;" but 1t is an indisputable fac.
that, at the commencement of the
present century, the fame Of Con. Sui.
IN ian, the then head of the family, for
mi raculous cures o Vicious horser, had
spfead far and wide throughout Ire
land, Among the many well .attested
Iact counts Of the wonderful achieve
ments of Con. Sullivan, "The Whis.
Ipeter, the services which he rendered
10 Col. Westenra, who afterwards
succeeded to the title of Rossmore.
were the talk Of the whole country.
The colonel had q splendid race
horse called Rainbow, and he was
anxious TO run him at the races on the
Cu urragh of Kildare; but the horse was
so wild and vicious that his owner
found he must give up all thoughts of
br1 1nging him out and running him.
Ha would bite every one who went
ne pr him llike the present Lord Fal-
mouths brute, Muley Eiris, who
''sRvaged" the late Fred Archer's
arm, and 1t was necessary to tic up
hia head when the groom who at
Ter ded him was not with him. II a
horse chanced to be near him he was
sure to bite him or try to; and the legs
OF The jockey who attempted TO mount
him did not escape his fsngs. Lord
Ddneraile said he knew person who
could cure him. The colonel could
mol believe him, and wager of
$4,000 was laid on the matter, A
ms ssenger was dispatched TO Con.
Sullivan, who was known throughout
tht country side as 'the Whisperer, :"
from the supposition that he whis-
peted into the horses ear, by which
me ans he quieted such as were un-
ruly. When he was told the state of
Col. Westenra's horse he desired to 20
lntp the stable to see him.
You must wait until his hea 1 is
tie ! up" was said and repeated by
those who were present.
NO OCCASION" SAID Con. "He
won bite me-"
no ia he went, after poremptorily
ORD erIng no one to follow him till d
given signal should imply that they
had his permission. He then shut the
door for the unenviable tete.s tete. In
u title more than a quarter of an hour
TAG signal was heard. Those who
had been waiting in alarm for the re-
sun rushed in. They found the horse
extended on his back, playing like
kit en- with "the Whisperer,h who
waB quietly sitting by him. Both
horse and operator appeared exhausted,
.paIticu arly the latter, to whom 1t was
NECESSARY to administer brandy and
other stimulants before he could be
revived. The horse was perfectly
tanle and gentle from that day,
In the spring OF 1904 Mr.. Whaley's
Kibg Pippin was brought out to run
at Vhe Curragh of Kildare. He had
bed IN described as horse of the most
savage and vicious disposition; he had
a habit OF flying at and worrying any
peIeon who came near him. When
he could turn his head around he
would seize his riders leg with his
tee il and drag him from his back.
The difficulty Of managing such a
horse may be conceived, and on this
occasion it was impossible to put
briile on him. "The WhispererI
waB now sent for. lie remained shut
up in the stable all night. In the
morning King Plppin was seen fol-
lowing him like dog-lying down at
the word of command, and permitting
any person, without resistance, to put
his hand into his mouth, while he
stobd gentle as a lamb He was
brought OFT in the course OF the meet
Ing was run, and won the race.
The fame Of 1.-THE Whisperer" had
nov spread throughout the country,
and his services were in extensive de-
and. This extraordinary person
has been noticed in many and various
publications. CrofIon Croker speaks
of him in his ''Fairy Legends" as IAN
ignorant rustic OF the lowest class"
while he bears ample testimony to his
extraordinary powers. 81 once saw
his SKILL" he says, ''tried on horse
which could never before be brought
to stand for smith to shoe him. The
day alter Sullivan's lesture | went,
not without some incredullty, TO the
sm this shop with many other curious
spd dctRtors, who were eyewitnesses of
the complete success of his art. This
had been troop horse; 1t was sup
POSED that after regimental discipline
had failed, no other could be found
IavAiling. | observed that the animal
seemed terrified whom Sullivan either
spoke to him or looked at him." Were
we to recount all the well authenti
Gated details of the marvellous powers
|of 'tthe Whisperer," we should far
exceed our limits. There are hun
drdds Of cases on record of persons
'soIhe, we believe, still liying-Who
were Witnesses of his marvellous pow
ers, or who have benefited by them.
How he obtained this wonderful
COZ orhmand over the horse has never yet
bed In ascertained. Some lancied that
he poured some opiate into the ear of
the animal, while others ascrib0d his
success TO magic. Crofton Croker OBJ
serves that sthe seemed to possess an
intlltiVe power of inspiring awe, the
res pit, perhaps, of natural intrepidity,
in which l believe a greater part of his
n 81 on,,a3ntnd .l-.sI a t.