The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-01-28
skILLfuL MEXICAN ToREADoRA.
Senorita Hernandez, the Most Famous
Female Bull Fighter in the World.

becomes hardened to that sort q
thing in Mexico, and even to relisl
the excitement, but when the pro
moter of the cruel sport is awoman
as is not unfrequently the case
there is something so revoltingl,
unnatural about it that the mos
sophistical American turns ava,
in disgust. 1t was nay fortune
some time ago, to see Senorita Her
nandez, the most famous fenlal,
bull fighter in the world. So fear
fully exciting was the so-callec
sport" that the 5000 people in the
Plaza de Toros were upon thei1
feet in a state of widest confusion
men yelled themselves hoarse, and
women fainted-all because slen.
der young girl had nerve enough to
throw herself in the path of fierce
bull and kill him by a single thrust
1t was her farewell performance,
and the strongest and fiercest toros
in the country had been advertised
for. To make the novelty greater
it was announced that Senorita
Hernandez would fight upon stills,
armed with only a short sword, and
with none of the usual defenses and
loop-holes of escape-so that in
every case it was victory or death
to the brave girl. The animals pro-
vided were small, active and wholly
untamed, and the horns of each
were trimmed and polished till the
points were bright as needles and
almost as sharp.
Never did veteran picador per-
form more expert work than was
coolly executed by the youthful
senorita. AS the bull, mad with
rage, would make his furious charge,
she stood perfectly still until he
had approached within three feet,
when-suddenly springing aside as
the animal rushed by, with one
hand she would slap him in the
face with the scarlet cloak which
had first, aroused his anger, and
with the other hand dextrously
thrust into his neck a gaudy ban
derilla, whose sharp barb as it
pierced his flesh caused him to roar
with rage and pain. Thus charge
after charge was made by the mad
dened brute, only to be always
evaded by the active girl. She
played with him, plagued him and
tortured him as cat would mouse
at last, bleeding and sore,
and completely exhausted with fa-
tigue and pain, the animal would
fight no more.
Three wild bulls were worn out |
in this way by the fair Castilian,
and then, wearied as she must have
been, came the climax in the fulfill
ment of her advertised obligation
TO kill a bull with a sword scarcely
Two feet long, while standing on
stills directly in front of him. The
animal selected for this deadly con-
est was a beautiful specimen of
lis race, black, agile, savage, and
Wild, and he was no sooner in the
lrena than ready for battle. After
le had been permitted two or three
'harges to warm him for his work,
he Governor of the district, who
presided on the occasion, gave a
ignal, and the hugle sounded the
death call" Even the habitues
f the bull ring turned pale, and
he silence of the grave reigned
throughout the vast amphitheatre.
he slight young girl, with stills {
ecurely fastened to her limbs, re-
eived the sword, saluted the Gov
rnor, and turned toward her enemy
18th a little shout of defiance, wav- 8
1g her scarlet cloak to excite his I
nger. At this moment the dis I
ance between them was about two I
undred feet. The toro, quivering t
18th excitement and paving the I
arth in the ierceness of his rage, I
eeded no second invitation. With 9
leaning eyes and head lowered to r
he ground he started at full speed o
" the object of his hate. She Il
almly waited until he was within n
venty feet, when bracing herself n
rmly on her short stills, she held II
le little sword at shoulder-height, n
ady for his coming. Whatever a
ay have been her thoughts in that "
lpreme moment it was a fearful G.
me for the spectators. When the r
lge brute was within four feet she le
rev herself suddenly forward, u
we one quick thrust with the G.
7ord, and without waiting to note r.
e effect of the blow, swung around "
her stills and again saluted the CT
overnor. In the twinkling of an CT
e she turned to face the bull, and p
st as she did so he dropped dead q
so close to her that, without NOV IL
g from her position, she placed
e foot upon the neck of her now a,
ostrate foe. The sharp blade di-
,ted by the skillful hand of this
self-possessed girl had d,
vered the spinal chord and death "
IS instantaneous. For moment Il,
e great audience sat breathless,
\ l. | III