San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-05-24
A MEXICAN BULL FIGHT.
SCENE AT THE BUCOAROELLI PLAZA
DEL TORRES.
The Lights Correspondent Gives Graphic
Description of The Mexican Nation
al Sport as Seen in the Capital.
Special Correspondence,

Speclal Correspondence,
CITY OF MEXICo. May lS.-The
bull fights OF Mexico are even a
greater craze in that country than
baseball is in America and they
are far more brutal and brutaIiz-
ing. They are held in all parts OF
Mexico on SUNDAYS and on all OF
the many national and religious
holidays that arg termed f1estas.
The bull fight is one of the baneful
legacies Of Spain 1t is the peoples
chief delight and seems inherent,
for the children play bull fighting
in a mimic way. A bull fight al
ways draws a crowd OF natives, in
Guiding both of the sexes aud chill.
dren and among the audience are
many visitors who are prompted
by curiosity to see the sport: in
deed about the first question
asked by an American visitor is
usually "where and when can l
see a good bull fight" but In their
cases, as in mine, one exhibition
is enough to satisfy their curiosity,
for the sight sickens the humane
and disgusts the sensitive. To be
satisfactory to the Mexican the
bull fight must be real, energetic
and bloody. The more horses
killed by the bull and the more
men injured or killed, the greater
the fight. The Mexicans, even
ladies, will sit unmoved and see
men ripped open and killed and
horse after horse gored. 1t is SIM
ply sport. A Mexican friend Of
mine in recording a recent bull
fight at Tacubaya, the Monte Carlo
of Mexico,in the suburbs of the city,
was quite enthusiastic and said
"Ah that was a grand fight! why
the bull killed capeadore, ripped
open the thigh of another, and
killed 16 horses" This is the Next
can idea of sport! Woe be to the
manager who has a bull that will
not fight in the ring or incompent
and bungling bull fighters, as
will happen, for in
most cases the audience gets ex.
cited, pulls the place to pieces and
demands and gets the admissions
fees back again. Next day, as bull
ring proprietors, like managers of
theatres, are compelled to do and
produce all they advertise, he is
fined from $500 to $1,000 for VIOLA
ting the law. This is really good
law for it keeps "bum shows and
fakes" out Of the country and
might we'll be adopted in Ameri-
"a, especially in the south.
The leading bull fighters are far
more honored and esteemed than
aver John l.. Sullivan was in his
palmy days. They are we'll paid,
acquire wealth, even for
tunes. Ponciano DiaZ, the great
was so idolized by the
people that 1t is said, and not with.
)ut reason, that IL left to the will
If the people he could have beaten
MS illustrious namesake in his
fo- presidency of the
,epublic. The bull fighter Is quite
! picturesque stage character and
his appearance in the ring is hailed
With such q storm of applause that
usually Is only accorded to the
great, yet many of these men are
not only brutal but ignorant.
You can always tell bull fight
or on the street; he wears stiff
felt hat of his favorite color
shaped as an ordinary straw hat, is
clean shaved, has his hair cut in a
peculiar way leaving a cue, a la
John Chipaman. That cue Is q
mark Of honor and shows that he
has graduated" in the bull ring.
II he cowardly violates the rules or
code of office that cue is cut of
he is disgraced and can
never more enter the bull ring.
The bull fighter must be cool,
nervy and a good all
round athlete. 1t is no small
task to attack an Infatuated bull,
as it must not be killed until the
signal is given by the president
and he must depend upon his
agility to escape injury and even
death. Many are the bull fighters
that have been killed in the ring
or have been manned for life. One
was gored almost to death last
Sunday.
In all bull fights the president
generally Is a government official,
who directs the proceedings from
the place OF honor he occupies.
Then there is the "cabalero" a
fancy dressed individual mounted
on gaily caparisoned horse who
receives the key of the bull pen
from the president and becomes
de tacto master of the cere monies.
The bull fighters proper and the
"matadorsn or "espada," men
whose duty is to engage the bull
In mortal combat and kill him
with a sword; the "banderillas,"
who anger the bull with a red
cloak and stick "banderillas" into
the bull. These are sticks fanci-