The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-18
A BULL FIGHT.
Americans and Mexicans Witness II
Near FL PaS0.
Poor Old Horses Gored TO Death by the
Bulls.

Stuart and his followers are SICK at heart.
They have beeen to a bull fight. They
have stood in a roaring volcano OF human
passion, and have witnessed q perversion
of pure instincts such as has never &C.
CURED around a prize ring. They have
gazed upon blood and brutality such as
was never shed or shown in a display OF
five ounce mitts.
Tho scene was in Cuidad Juarez, and
the spot was the bull ring, q great circle
Of seats like the Roman Coliseum, fenced
OF at the bottom OF a six foot fence, in
the limits OF which the cory actors
plunged and ploughed and bit the dust.
The sport OF Mexico, and, incidentally,
OF Spain, was set for half-past 3 O'Clock
this afternoon. Long before this time
the Mexican monte and dice players, the
Colorado and Blanco spinners, the soft
eyed Mexican girls, with sparkling hair,
and the jack a dandys with comical hats
and light trousers, had descended upon
the scene and were making things lively.
The bull ring is close under the lee OF
an ancient church, where the old Jesuit
fathers prayed, and through the mellow
clang Ct the holy bell you could hear the
rattle of the dice and the whirl OF the
gambling wheels. Gathered about the
Ia bles were Poems swathed to their chins
in ragged ponchos; h~idalgos, vaquers,
gamblers and Texas rangers armed to the
teeth.
Inside the ampitheater the box which
has been reserved for President Diaz was
gayly decorated with flags and bunting.
President Diaz was not there, but Cover
nor Ahumada was and nobody appeared
to enjoy the sport more than he.
An hour before the time for the scene
of %butchery the band began to play, and
the tourists and Others came wandering
into the place m desultory groups,
hi string of boxers, paddy" Ryan,
'.Bat" Masterson, Hugh Ksnel ICY"
Ryan," Bob FitsImmons, Captain Gloria,
Horace Leeds, "Jack" Everhhardt, Sec
rotary Wbeelock and last, but not least,
John L. Sullivan.
SO the place was filed up with a gorge
Gus crowd the distinctive color of which
was a Mexican yellow, and the distinctive
odor of which was Mexican garlic.
The tourists sat and gossiped, the Next
cans sat and smoked the eternal cigaret-
ties, and ''the band played on.n Over the
ramparts of the bull ring rang the shril
song of q thin faced hoy who was per-
forming with a moutebank and a monkey.
"Aialol Malo! You are no good" cried
a Mexican with q mustache like a pirate
of Peuzance.
"Never mind" replied the boy in
Spanish, 'IH be a toreador some day."
1t was the key to the national character.
ANOt CNth oOftih <Aluiiudu III IA u
feet four inches of Mexican dignity, was
In it with the matadores who were to
stab el toro TO death.
The crowd of Mexicans began to ex-
hibit sign Of impotence at 3 o'clock.
There. were bellows and yeiis, and cries OF
SCI toro" Muerte al toro" This was
varied by the blast OF q bugle, which an
nounced the arrival of Governor Ahumada
and his suite. They took the box next to
the one left empty in honor OF President
Diaz.
They were hardly seated before a
lank and energetic person, with a voice
like a buzz saw, leaped to his feet and
called for three cheers for Fitzsimmons
and Maher. The reply came In a con-
sumptive way that discouraged further
efforts in this direction.
BY this time the high circle of seats
was dense with spectators, except the
sunny portion, which was too hot for
showed that "Chstillo" and ''salitas''
were TO be the chief executioners OF the
bulls. "El Campanero - and '"Ramitos"
were to fasten the bandilleros, and
"Chicorito, ""Abasta" and "Parra" were
TO ride the horses to sure destruction.
Respectively they were matadores, and
p~icadores.
The shriIl squall of a bugle that sound
ed like the choked n asthmatic squsll
of n captured hen was heard at forty min
utes after three O'Clock. This was what
the crowd had been waiting for. 1t was
the signal for the advent of the bull fight
ers.
The double doors on the south side of
the ring swung open, and out came the
bull lighters to the oun of the toreadores'
march in Carmen With tight satin
knee ~breeches, gaudy silken capes wrap
ped about the W asst and heavy horned
caps, they marched out III front of the
Governors box and saluted.
Close behind them came the mounted
picadores-and such mountsl Poor old
horses. They looked "a If they had never
smelled the odor of a clover bloom or
drawn a breath OF. fresh air. Blindfolded,
shrouded like beetles in heavy leather,
they entered the lists OF death with will
ing hearts to make a Mexican holiday.
After a short speech in Spanish to the
Governor by "Chatillo," as the chief Mat
ador, the toreadores tool their places
around the ring. Another wheezy squall
from the bugle, and then, out through
the doors on the west side of the ring
came the baA-a great, tearing big fellow,
with a mouse-colored hide and staring
eyes.
Writing from the smart of the barbed
rosette which had already been fixed ON
bis shoulders, he ragged around the ring
like a lion. Suddenly he saw before him
one of the matadores, "Ramitos." He
charged like a flash. Out went the cape,
and into il drove the bulls horns, only
to puncture the empty air.
Then one could har nothing but the
quick shuttle Of feet at the rasp OF the
bulls horns against the capes, and the
nervous cries of the spectators. So far
there had been no blood. One OF the pi-
cadores apparently thought it high time
for gore, and he spurred his poor old
horse TO the front.
Lowering his keen horns, the bull drove
them into the doomed beast with a caver-
nous below. The horse staggered under
the impact, end he p~icadore's pike staff,
which was almost as effective as a lemon
sde straw, was hurled TO one side. Keeling
with the pain of the horn thrust in his
lungs, the horse tried TO run. He was
blindfolded in order TO make his loom
the more certain.
Again and again the horse was stabbed,
and again and again he staggered to his
feet, with the legs OF the picadore still
around him. Finally he stood, dying.
Then the bull was lured away by the red
and eAasperating capcs Of the ca eadores.
There ret remained another horse I'm
a.. 1Haf. ..l IL LAll - A.