The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-26
BULL-FIGHTING In MEXICO
An Indianian Witnesses Four Battles,
in One of Which Man Loses His Life.
How the Brutes Are Goaded and Tortured Into
Fury of Rage to Furnish Entertainment
for Mexican Society Of All Grades.


1gnt would take place at PatZcuaro at oP.
NJ. The train was due here ct that hour.
The bull-ring was situated three kilometers
from the station. Through the kindness
of conductor Branch. who telegraphed
ahead to procure diligencia for party
of four. including himself, the engineer
and we two visitors. We were enabled. by
the and of two Mexican drivers
and q tine mule team, to reach
the Plaza de Toros just In time.
IL is necessary to explain here that while
this was to be q bona fide buil-hght, it was
not the intention to kill the buils. or the
men, either. for that matter. The plaza
was filed with all classes of Mexican SO.
ciety, including ladies. The company con-
sisted of matsdors. picsdors, banderiIleros.
tail-twisters and other toreadors The
first bull came in with o run. with head
tack everything in sight. The ring was
about seventy-fve feet In diameter. built
of timber, with eight guards or
Ife,preservers. consisting OF planks
nailed on to posts four feet
apart, leaving space of one foot between
It and the circle. and behind which the
fighters took refuge when necessary. The
fighting consisted In insulting the bull
with red Slankets thrust in bIs face incit-
wtdld charge upon the men viciously
across the ring. and strike the guard or
circle on the other side with q terrible
whack. the men having lodged out of his
way. Recovering himself. he would charge
again at any offensive picador in sight. the
men teasing him with their red blankets;
IN the meantime he would occasionally
catch o blanket on his horns and
toss 1t in the air, gore 1t on the
ground and paw it with his feet The
MA m Ia no
horses being caught sometimes against the
ring and badly injured. but no horses were
actually killed.
STIRRING UP THE ANIMAL
When the bull became tired and
failed to charge promptly pixies were
resorted to, and now and then q pot
terry she'll Tiled with dirt and gravel, and
fine cut tissue paper. and pigeons. and
house cats was thrown at him, striking on
his face, arousing him to fresh energy, and
when at length he failed TO come to time
the banderlll0s were struck into his sides
and shoulders; rs, These are .,h grows ,n Of
and covered with oolored tissue paper;
when q half-doZen or moro of them are
thrust into him he becomes frantic. cbarg-
ing with fresh squirt moro vieiously than
then retires and refuses to tight. At this
time the picadors lass0 him. first by the
horns, and then by bis heels. and the
horses are trained to keep q tight rope.
In this way he Is thrown down, and rope
Is dashed around his body; man 10 put on
his back, and he is let mp. This 10 new
sensation to him, and he gallops around
the ring furIously, trying to rub the man
OIL against the guards, and to hook him OH
with his horns. All this time he 10 bein z
assaulted with shells, and pixies. and
red blankets. At last ne 10 worn out. is
iassoed again to let the man off, and his
bct in the programme is finished. To get
the bull out of the ring lot of cattle are
follows them out. and the second one is
ushered in. He came In, as before, with
head erect. very valiant. and clears the
nng at once. Everything goes one way for
courage to approach him. and Haunt their
Ierapes in his face The insult is more
Than his bullship can bear, and he charges
right and left, and oil hands fly for their
ives behind the life preservers; the plea,
dore. on horseback, however. has to stand
the brunt of il and keep out of his
range the best way they can. Inc race is
on for life for horse and man. Occasional
ly the horse is caught foul and badly hurt
but it Is ell in the play and the fight Zoos
On. Shells of pottery stuffed with oats are
broken on his head, and the bull is kept
busy attacking dozen men In every direc-
tion. after the fight has advanced suffi-
ciently the banderiIlos (bande-ree-yos) are
one that requires great deal of courage.
The bull becomes frantic and dangerous
when stuck full of these arrows, that vi
brate mp and down with every step. in
dieting terrible punishment The sym
patty of the audience. if there il. such
thing in a Mexican audience.
seemed to 60 with the bull. for when q
fighter got in close quarters and the danger
was unusually imminent, the applause W al
deafening. The same routine was gone
n nd mi m N N q m a IN
bis back. as before. and when all the fun
that could be was had out of him he was
released q much tanner animal than when
he entered.
KILLED BY BULL.
The third bull introduced was q large.
powerful fellow, brilliante, valiente. y
mucho bravo. and be had it all his own
way for . while. but the tight went on and
many close calls were made, the routine of
the fight being about The same as before
until at length one OF the men
caught by the boil on his horns and tossed
twenty feet in the air. Falling at a distance.
he was followed by the bull, which pa W ed
and stamped him with his feet and gored
him with his horns In shocking manner.
lt was with the utmost difficulty that the
infurlated beast could De driven of. and
the dead man carried out. The music
played right along through this desperate
encounter as II 1t was all In the play, and
the tight went on without further inter
Iuption. but it was soon apparent
that the courage and brsvado of
the actors were gone. The usual
programme was not fully carried out
and the point Of using banderillos was
never reached. The fourth bull was in
troduced. but with boxing gloves on his
horns. apparently. as q precaution of safety.
The nerve of the actors. however, was
completely gone, and, while the bull be-
gan his part cheerfully, the attack upon
him was feeble. indeed. and a call for vol
unteers was made. Numerous amateurs
responded. Among the principal and brav-
est OF these were the two brothers, Cefe-
rina Silva. who rode the bull. and Buena
Silva. brakeman on the National road,
who did duty as an all-round matadOr,
etc This volunteer company did
some excellent feats, and when
the fight ended a shower of silver pesos
greeted the Silva brothers AS the heroes of
the fight. The audience were dressed in
gay costumes of CANDY colors. and the ap-
plause was vociferous. The prices of adj
mission were rs cents in the shade, and IL n
in the sun; children half price. The result
OF the tight and the death of the actor were
not mentioned here in the papers for the
substantial reason that no newspapers
exist in this part of Mexico, although
there is abundant opportunity.
Z. w. CRAWFORD.