Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-05

tHC EtiNi 0((It I'LL Will NJ 49,
matador before giving the coup de Eraee'
presents himself before the President.
and. with a graceful salute. makes him
Q present OF the body Of the bull he u
about 20 STAY. He then goes out to meet
sirgie-handed the ferce king Of the plains.
now thoroughly Infatuated by the stabs or
the "bandilleras" and the thrusfs or the
"rdcndorcs." albeit almost exhausted oy
MIS- vain efforts to destroy his enemies.
Tbs mAtador II armed only with long.
straight, sharp-pointed sword and a red
"capa." With the latter he plays the
bull until he gets him into n certain de-
sired position Qhe poor maddened crea-
turc will always so for the red cloth.
and apparently takes no notice or the
man who In waving ~. The position
IN which the matador wishes to place him
Ia with his forcfeet standing squarely
together. and the very moment this Is
attained, the former. 'as quick as light
ning," lungcs forward. apparently almost
on to the very horns OF the bull and
piunges the sword to the hilt down be-
tween the animals shoulders. transflx-
Ing the heart To understand how din
cult is this feat ana what GOODNESS. cour-
age, and skill Its successful performance
requires. It is only necessary to state
that there Is but one very small place
where the sword can be forced down
20 accomplish Its deadly work "a spot be-
tween the shoulders just back OF the
point where the neck joins the body.
and that the matador has to make II
by a flying leap, as II were. and at the
same time escape the terrible horns so
eager and ready to gore the life
out Of him. How dangerous 1t is
may be inferred from the illus
- 49,, Pa. -,
calculation. an illustration Of which
Is given. He was the most renowned
matador in Spain. a very prince of bull
fighters, but he met a horrible fate at
Madrid a few weeks ago. as has al
ready been described IN your cable col
umns. He had made the leap and given
the "estocada," but one of the bulls horns
caught under his waist-belt, and after
being tossed in the air. he was gored
through the stomach and breast, the
wounded beast dropping dead almost In
the act. Besides. the danger Of the feat.
is the modification that Is sure TO follow
failure In its execution. a half inch to
the right or left OF the right spot" and
the point of the sword will be stopped
by the backbone or the shoulder-blade.
and then the great audience Will rise as one
man and boot and hiss the matador. as
though he were the vilest wretch on earth.
And two or three such failures would
destroy his professional reputation, which
is as valuable to him as that OF the
highest-salaried baseball expert In Ameri-
ca, since he receives as much as N,W0
not infrequently for single fight. In
the contest Of which l am writing
GUERRA and Bombita, the latter a medium
sized youth of 10. but with a splendid
muscular development. killed three bulls
EACH in only one instance having to give
a second stroke (Guerrita).
SOME HARD KNOCKS.
But the matador's Is not the only
dangerous part in this medieval sport
handed down from the gladiatorial epoch.
The placing OF the "bandarillas'
(short sticks pointed with steel
barbs and wrapped with colored
paper) is no childs play. The band
arillaro" takes two Of these, one in each
hand, and confronts the bull, which is as
yet quite fresh and vigorous. The bun
rushes at the man, and the man at the
bull, when, just at the point of meeting.
the latter gives spring upward ana
sldewise, and you see the bandarllas
sticking in the thick part of the bulls
neck. and find yourself wondering how
i'm the world they got there and the man
got away!
But the fellows who get the real hard
knocks Of the game and but very small
modicum of the honor and the gate-re-
ceipts, are the mounted 'picadores." They
are armed with long ''pica," or pike,
with a steel point. with WHICH they are
supposed TO keep the bull off the horse,
but they hardly ever do. They punch
holes in his neck and shoulders, ana
make the blood flow, but this only ADDS
fuel to his wrath. and he gets in his
horse goes down the rider has to go
down with him, and for very simple
reason. His lower limbs are encased IN
iron Ieggings to the knees to prevent
the bull from "pinning' them to the
sides of the horse. and these leggings are
so heavy that the man couldn't jump OH
his steed. even II he wanted TO, at
critical moment. So. down he goes ana,
as one leg is generally caught under tho
horse, he would be completely at the
mercy of the maddened brute II the
others didn't come at once and take the
latter away with their red "capas. Inc
last bull in the st. Mary's "hdia" was
magnificent black roam that entered the
ring with the evident determination Oh
making a real Roman holiday for the
assembled populace, and Of making the
empressario pay dearly for his carcass
He killed four horses inside of ten min
utes. and. a la Alexander the Great
thlrsted for more gore. So great was MS
rage that seeing no more living horses
to charge. he went for the body or one
that he had already slain. and, as the
body rolled over from the assault, ac-
tually turned q complete somersauit over
IL. landing right side up and charging
straight away for the nearest man In
view. He was bad bull and no mis-
take. The first horse he encountered he
struck obliQuely in the breast be-
tween the forelegs. sending it over
backwards with as much ease
as n man would kick over a cat. The
horse fell squarely back between the
picador's legs, and with half OF its body
apparently on his abdomen and stomach, l
thought that his part in the performance
was finished: but l was mistaken. He
was helped TO his feet and on 10 fresh
horse, and went careering after the bull
again. A second picador received even
severer fall. His horse was struck In
the side by the bull, and knocked over
sidewise. He was standing near the
"barrera," and as he fell the side of the
picadors head struck the 'escalon de
salto''-a wooden rail or step that runs
all around on the inside of the "barrera."
about foot from the ground, and which
enables the men on loot 10 leap over
the barrera when closely chased by the
bull. The crash resounded all over the
ampitheatre, and the rational conclusion
Of every one was that the mans skull was
crushed or his neck broken. lie lay quite
still for a moment. but as soon as he
was helped to his feet, staggered away
in a sort of dazed manner toward his
next mount. He was doubtless sent to
the infirmary after the fight, but he
stayed In till the finish"
The fight lasted from 4:S0 to 6i5 at
which hour the last bull was dragged
from the ring and the audience began
to dispense. There was music at inter-
walls by good brass band during the
progress Of the combat. but practically
no entire acts. AS soon as the body of one
bull and those Of the horses he had killed
were dragged from the plaza and the
blood-spots covered with sand fresh
bur was let out. The Entertainment"
~ II can be called by that name, goes on
from beginning 10 end practically without
interruption. The carcasses of the bulls
are turned into beef Immediately after
death, and, as they are always In good
condition, Spanish restaurateurs assert
that they make the very best OF beef.
did not inquire particularly as to the
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