Connecticut western news., 1888-10-03
HORSE MYSTERIES.
Their Mysterious Ascendancy
 Over Vicious Equines.
The Wonderful Achievements
 of Con Sullivan of Cork.

ne w OnQ6rTul AC0l0V6Tn00lS
 of Con Sullivan of Cork.
 It is commonly believed, says the Farming Word, that there arc uc- doubtcdly mysterious i: fl ,ences by which an immediate ascendancy is gained over the horse dependent of the process of teaching or p-omptiugs of affection. There was formerly living in the county of Cork, Ireland, family who lail claim to ths possession of a secret by which the widest or most vi. cious horse could bo tanned. This se- crct is said to have been original ly i'm parted by a Bohemian gypsy to the then head of the family, century and half ago, and to have been regularly transmitted, as a parting legacy at the time of death, from the father to the eldest son. Possibly there my be ia tho county of Cork scion of the family still practicing, with more or less suc- cess, the art of ''horse whispering" but it is an indisputabre fact that at the com mencemont of tho present century the fame of Con Sullivan, the then head of the family, for miraculous cures of vic ious horses, had spread far and wide throughout Ireland. Among the many we'll -attested accounts of tho wonderful achievements of Goa Su livan, ''The Whispcrer," the services which he. ren- dcred to Colonel Wastenra, who after ward succeeded to the title of Ross1n ore, were the talk of the whole country. The colonel had splendid race horse called Rain bow, and he was anxious to run him at tho races on tn, Curragh of Kildare, but he was so wild and vicious that his owner found that ho must give up all thoughts of bringing him out and running him. He would bite every one who went near him, like tho present Lord Falmouth's s brute, Muley Edris, who 'savaged" the late Fred Archer's arm, and it was necessary to tic up his head when the groom who at- tended him was with him. If a horse chan ced to be near he was sure to bite him or try to; and the legs of the jockey who attempted to mount him did not escape his fangs.
 Lord Donerville said ho knew per- son who could cure him and wager of $500O was laid on tho matter. A mes senger was despatched for Con Sullivan who was known throughout the country side as ''the whisperer," from the SUD- position that he whispered into the horse's car, by which means he quieted such as were unruly. When he was told the state of Colonel Wastenra's horse Le desired to go into the stable to see him. "You must wait till his head is tied up," was said and repeated by those present. "No occasion," sai Con, '.he won't bite me- So in he went, after peremptorily ordering no one to follow him till given sig gnal should imply that they had his permis- sion. He then shut the door for tho unen . viable teto- -tete. In a little more than a quarter of an hour the sig nal was heard. Those who had been waiting in alarm for the sult rushe d in and found the horse extended on his back playing like kitten with the whisperer, who was quietly sitting by him. Both horse aud operator appeared exhausted, particularly the latter, to whom it was necessary to administer brandy and other stimulants before ho could be revived. The horso was per- fectly tame and gentle from that day. In the spring, of 1904 MT. Whaley' s King Pippia was brought out to run at the Curragh of Kildare. He has been described as horse of the most savage and vicious disposition; he had habit of flying at and worrying any person who came near him. Whom he could turn his head round he would seiz, his riders leg with his teeth and drag him from his back. The difficulty of man. agiug such horse may bo conceived, and on this occasion it was impossible to put bridle on him. The whisperer was now sent for. He remain ed shut in tho stable all night. In the morning King Pippin was seen following him like a dog, lying down at tho word of com. mand, and permitting any person with out resistance to put his hand into his mouth, while he stood "gentle as a lamb" Ho was brought out in the course of tho meeting, was run and won | the race.
 The fame of the whisperer had now l spread throughout the country, and his services were in extensive demand. This extraordinary person had been noticed in many and various publica- tions. Crofton Crocker speaks of him in his "Fairy Legends as an 'ignor- ant rustic of the lowest class" while he bears ample testimony to his extraordi- nary powers.
 Crah Farms