Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-02-13
Duel Behceen an African Lton and a
Fiue Year Old Bull.

Eice Year Old Butt
The Cologne Gazettes correspondent at
Madrid relates terrible story of tauro-
macby-a duel which had Just taken
place between an African ion and five
year old bull. High bets were made, and
nothing else was talked of for days; it
seemed as if the national honor depended
upon it. The tickets were sold in no time
and those who were not able to procure
them in good time had to pay ten and
twenty times the original price for one
At . in the afternoon a regular migration
took place across the Alcala street to the
Plaza del Toros, and this soon filled to
the last place. Several thousand persons
could not gain admittance, but, in conse-
quence of the crush, the barriers yielded,
and about 800 grandarmes had to make
free use of the butt ends of their rifles TO
keep order at entrance The aeronaut,
Enrich, and Mallen, the lion tanner, the
proprietor of the lion which was captured
in Senegambia in 1888 were scarcely no.
ticed. Everybody waited with patience
the great moment when the two animals
should try their strength with one another
in The gigantic iron cage, thirty-nine feet
in diameter, which was put up in the cen
ter Of the arena.
With a tremendous spring and loud
roar, the lion entered first-a splendid
animal, and so savage that Mallen could
do nothing with him, and could not make
use of him in any of his performances
Only last year he nearly became victim
of his own foolhardiness, being dragged
out of the beasts claws almost torn to bits,
the lion having just before killed hyena.
The lion paced around the cage several
times and then lay down opposite the door
of the bulls cage. \ second bell being
rung, this door was opened, and an indies
cribable motion went through the crowd.
Like lightning, the bull started up and
went straight at the lion, which now rails
ed itself and lifted its great paws. For
one moment the two animals seemed to be
one moving mass, then the monarch Of
the desert was seen to fly through the air
laundering applause from the Thousands
and cheers for Spain filled the air, for
they evidently considered the bulls vic
tory as symbol of the national destiny
The bull now took few steps back
ward toward the center of the cage, and
awaited new attack. But as this did
not come he rushed forward and rolled
his enemy about in the sand like ball
till, by a sudden turn, the lion tried tC
get at him behind, aud had already stuck
its claws into the bulls hindquarler, when
he was driven off by several powerful
kicks and was finally again tossed. The
ion now gave in, and, amid The Kisses oi
the public, tried to escape ill he was al
loved to slip into his cage. The result
was, therefore, quite different from wha'
the large bills posted up everywhere had
predicted by an Illustration of the lion Fl
nally devouring his opp nent. 1t is true
that most people had not expected such
an issue, but were from the beginning con
vinced that the bull would be victorious
They based their convictions on the re
suit of similar fights during the last forty
years, in which the bull has triumphed
over lions, Bengal tigers, and icebears.-
He was, however, not equal to the ele'
phant, for his horns could not pierce the
thick hide, and tremendous blow from
the trunk sufficed to lay him in the dust