The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-03-17
A MEXICAN BULL FIGHT.
A THRILLING SCENE DESCRIBED BY
AN EYE WITNESS.
sickrnins Features Of This Exciting f"s-
tIne-Fantastic Get Up OF the Perform
.rs aud Cruel Exuberancc Of Spectators.
How tho Bull Il Worried.

How tho Null Il Worried.
R,t we are going 20 a bull fight. So we
80 ~, M tbe street with the human It'd
DRIFTING in that direction. Here l. the plaza,
with m, walks. and seats, and grass, and
,r,,s. and ia the center the bust Of Juarcz,
some time president Of the republic, and
from whom tho town took il name last year
nefore that IL was Paso Del NOrte.
We take our place Isl the press before the
ti.ke, sellers stand, and when az length We
reach him are informed in the tongue Of Ger
yeutes that un psso por cada-a dollar each
will admit us. Tickets in hand, up the
steps we 60. On the landing IS group Of
Mexican soldiers. with their dirty uniforms
and convict appearance, who do police duty
FOR the occasion. Here Is a circular Enclosure
a hundred feet in diameter and some twelve
feet high. Around and above this the seats
rise in tiers, amphitheatre fashion. fuhy
three thousand people occupy these seats,
while a vast rabble, unable 10 raise the neces-
sary peso. are peering through the cracks IN
the board, Of the wall beneath.
The show has not vet begun. The usual
conversational hubbub isin progress. Nolleys
Of supposed wit are fred in Spanish by
smart Alexis" at each other across the arena.
The lemonade and peanut fiend IS going his
rounds .All at once a blare Of comets at our
backs makes us jump With the sudden impres
sion that the bull is upon Us. Now a door
into the arena opens and the performers enter
They are fantastic Ia their scarlet jackets,
green sashcs and knee brooches. There are
half a dozen banderilleros with their scarlet
mantels, wherewith they torment the bull,
and two picadors armed with pixies and
mounted upon sorry steeis, and last, but not
least, that distinguished person. the matador,
with his sword.
SIMPLY PLAYING.
Tbov make their Obeisance. the trumpets
flourish and after a moment a large door on
the opposite side is opened All eyes turn
in that direction and here comes one of the
animals which are to furnish the sport. All,
how nimbly be scuds across the ARENA How
he tosscs his head this way and that and
glares around himl lie Is scared. In vain
they 1aunt the red cloth before him lie
dashcs the other way. The picadors prod
him and he tries 10 scramble over the wall,
greatly 10 the CONSERVATION Of those sitting
above. The bandcrilleros tease and torture
him, but 70 no purpose. He turns t2h and
tries 70 escape. The fact is, be Is only q
miticated bull-a bull In the past tense, So
TO speak. There il a storm Of jeers and hisse-
and be is driven out in disgrace.
The band plays. Now the door IS again
opened This time a genuine bull enters
lie is a magnificent beast, black as night,
and built for strength and action. rs be
plunccs in q tiny dart Of steel is hurled into
as withers. This cnraccs him and without
pansing be charges. head down and tail ia the
air. upon his t~orincntor, who flies before hin
The scarlet cloth il %interposed and ho turns
upon the banderillero and chases him 50 hotly
that the man drops his mantle and takes
refuge behind the strong screen erecte1
against tho wall as a Retreat. The bull l.
badied. He turns and Is trarnpling and try
ing 20 gore the offensive cloth whom 10 l.
challenged by another banderillero holding
ING in each hand a little dart Wreathed WIZ
fright colored paper. Instantly the animal
charges furiously upon him. The nan docs
not move aud the spectators hold their
iveath, When tho horns are within q foot
+ his body the man makes a lightning Ike
sWerve and thrusts tho little spears into tbs
bulls neck as he passes. He roals with pain
and endcavors to shake of the darts, but they
are barbed and still danglo to his neck.
The FIGHT ~ EARNEST.
Another red cloth IS Haunted before HIN.
His fury wakes. A yenturesome picador
urges his horse toward him. The horse
breast and sides are protected by a guard OF
heavy leather. The bull rushes upon them.
The man guards With his long pike, which IS
pointed with O sharp iron spike, expecting to
hold the bull Off. But be miscalculates the
force of the charge. The spike rips tho bulls
skin and plows through his flesh, but the
horse and his rider arc hurled to the earth,
and the bull tramples and cores them IN q
TRANSPORT Of fury. The mar is underneath,
the leather guard tears like paper, and the
bulls horn Is buried IN tho horses flank. II
IS q moment Of terror. The bull plunges and
roars. the poor horse groans and men shout
There arc white faces turned away from the
frightful spectacle. 1t is but a moment. a
ban6eTiller0 seizes the bulls tail, another
binds him with his mantel, and then his at
iention Is d distracted. He leaves lis victims
and chases these new objects Of his wrath 70
the screen on the other side Of tie arena.
The picadcr is quickly extricated, and the
horse lifted end carried staggering and
streaming with blood out Of the inclosure.
Tho man Is only bruised q little, and limps
out OF danger as fast as possible. Mean
while the bull has been wrought 10 q frenzy.
The or around him Is filed with Haunting
red His bloody neck IS festoonei with q
dozen gayly wreathed darts, which his active
~tornentors have thrust into him. He rushes
blndly hither and tAither, but his enemies
elude him on every hand.
Now comes the final scene. The matedor,
apparently a Hercules IN strength, bat as
nlmble rs q cat, walks bareheaGed into the
arena with lis keen gittering sword. lie
gracefully salutes the audience. They cheer
him yociieroasly. The other performers re-
tire aud he and ths frantic bull are lett alone.
The animal, wet With blood and snorting with
pain aud fury, tAVnders down upon him. He
makes a sudden movement and q graceful
sword play. The bloody horn a.! but grazes
his side. Baf,led aud raging the bull turn. for
lis last charge. Head down, nostrils wide,
eyes gigring, be rashes upon his doom. There
is q swift simmer OF steel and the slender
blade l. trans.a=el in the animals heart. The
quiyerins hit upon his massive back alone
is visible. lie stops. His limbs arc rigid.
His gigantic body Is conyGlsed. 70 belches
forth ! torrent o. blood. lie sweys, be reels,
be Staggers, he ~totters, he falls.
The matador plucSs away his weapon ard
the ~barbarous crowd yel themselves hoarse,
but it i, bloody, brutal and sicken!ng spec
taele. We have seen our first end last bin
Gght. As Wa rise 70 80 the still gasping boGy
OF the va.hmt beast, butchered to mako Il
''greaser" holiday, is being dragged iguobly
from the arena. =. J. Cowart IL Atlanta
Sunny South.
4 Texas steer lifted q carriage and baby OF