Rocky Ford enterprise., 1895-08-29
GILLETT'S BULL FIGHT.
SEVERAL ANIMALS eurcHERRD
The Animals Tortured Because They
Would Not FiEht-stats and County
Omeers Would Not Prevent the Affair.

Cripple Creek, Aug. 26.-There was q
bull fight at Gillett Saturday and an
other yesterday. although the latter was
very tame affair. The threats to pre-
vent the fights We're not executed, due
chiefly to the aid given the promoters
of the enterprise by the local authori-
ties at Gillett.
Sheriff Bowers of Ell Paso county de-
clared that he would prevent the fight,
but he failed to make good his boast.
On the strength of what Bowers said
Governor McIntire did not take any
active measures to interfere, as he had
been asked by the Humane Society and
others to do. Secretary Thompson said
he couldn't do anything If the governor
couldn't.
Before the opening of the fight Satur-
day, Sheriff Bowers appeared and told
President Wolfe that he was under ar
rest. This did not stop the fight how
ever.
The arena in which the fight took
place is 200 feet in diameter. The am
phitheater being built on top extending
buck tier by tier and giving seating ca
pacity for many thousands, the entrance
for the animals being on one side.
The attendance was very slim on Sat
urday. The ring was built in the lower
end of the track. The ring was $50
feet in diameter and was erected, the
promoters announced, according to the
Mayian ring. The seats rose upright al
most from the ring. Boxes were formed
In the front looking down on the arena
and the populace We're assigned to the
rest Of the huge amphitheater, which
can accommodate 5000 people. The
green, yellow and white colors of the
fiesta were spread copiOusly around the
wooden frame.
In the first fight Saturday the
entrance of the bull created intense en-
thusiasm. The skill shown by all was
highly aLplauded. The fight occupied
some thirty minutes and ended by the
killing Of the animal. No cruelty was
shown in any manner unless in the
killing of the bull, which was instnn-
taneous. Following came riding bron-
cos by the cowboys; some superb riding
was here witnessed. Shooting glass
balls from Winchester from a running
horse by Arizona Charley created great
enthusiasm. The skill shown in this
most difficult feat was greatly applaud
ed. The second bull caused greatly
more interest in being more active and
gave the artist considerable trouble to
avoid. The entire fight was duplica-
ton of that given in Mexico with the
cruel features eliminated. The entire
troupe consists of Mexicans who have
spent lifetime in the sport. The en-
tertainment of the day closed with q
chariot race.
The bulls used were Herefords and
their hornes were sawed off square, and
the animals We're decorated with rib.
bons.
Bowers seemed in doubt as to his au,
thority to prevent the fight during the
first fight. When the second bull was
being killed he tried to take Wolfe out
but the marshal of Gillett claimed that
Wolfe was his prisoner and would not
let Bowers have him. He was backed
up by lot of deputies and Bowers
could do nothing.
On Sunday the situation was the
same. Wolfe was arrested by the sher-
iff, however, for conspiracy to break the
law and promised to come to Colorado
Springs later.
The fights Sunday were attended by
a big crowd, but the bulls did not fight
well. They were tame lot One animal
after another was forced to enter the
ring to be goaded by men on horsebacB
and men on foot for the delectation OF
those who reyel In such horrors, but the
dumb brutes were weak from hunger
and refused to attack their tormentors
The cattle had steel darts stuck into
their bodies, they were pierced with
lances and frightened almost to death
by the bull fighters, but they were moi
of the kind to attack. One of the bulls
dragged into the ring did make a slight
attempt at retaliating and this was the
opportunity to kill the animal, as the
spectators went to witness the butch
cry and demanded blood. The bull
fighter employed for that purpose thrust
sword into the animals neck and cut
a great cash. The next thrust failed
to end the animals misery and it stag
gered around the ring for three or -four
minutes, dripping with blood, before II
died. AS the other bulls turned tail on
the men and horses they were not kill
ed, but their bodies were lacerated with
instruments of torture used in bull
fights,