The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-17
A WOMAN BULL FIGHTER
LAURA LOPEZ, QUEEN of SPANISH
ARENA, NOW IN VENEZUELA.
Eight Thousand People of Caracas
Saw Her Stay Her First ..TOro"
on American Soil.
aracas Letter in New York Herald.


great, fierce bulls of Venezuela. She Off
ciated the other day at the Circo, before a
| tremendous crowd and the grace and finish
| Of her performance put to shame the eff
| forts of her male rivals. Such an exhibi-
| ton of woman's pluck and skill Caracas
| had never before witnessed. She is the idol
| of the hour. / sat near her at the fete, be-
| fore she had donned the gay apparel of the
! ring. Admirers surrounded her. Her eyes
were on the bloody scenes being enacted in
| eager silence. A look of contempt was
| her face. The toreadors were clumsy. L
watched her fearfuliy when she did battle
| with beast beside which the others were
| as farmyard cows. She laughed in glee. A
wave of blood-red banderillas, and, presto
| the sharp Instruments were affixed together
| in the startled creatures neck. mad rush
| at his torturer and then the animal lay
| dying on the sawdust carpeted floor. Senior
ita's sword was near his heart. Its owner
was tripping to the exit. The audience was
laundering applause She occupied a box
that night at the theater, envied by all
women admired by CARCASS men, l talked
with her later.
do you not find bull fighting an amusing
pastime?" she asked, as she fingered one of
| her banderillas, with the blood of her brute
victim of the afternoon still fresh upon it.
Flaming posters reminded me of this
strange woman as progressed toward my
hotel. They had led me earlier in the day to
| the Grand Circo Metropolitan. Arriving
| shortly after o'clock we had found our
selves among the first who were clamor-
| ously anxious to gain admission. Frantic
| efforts to reach the box Office in which we
| were finally successful, secured us seats
| upon the shady side Of the arena at a cost
of 4 boivares each (about 50 cents)
| We were seated at the left of the box of
| the President and of the stand of the Ma
tional Military Band, which is situated just
above and in the rear of the Presidents
box. AS fast as humanity could rush itself
into a given space. the all" of Caracas
seemed beehiving into this place of pastme
| The grand circle, which l learned seated
seven thousand, was quickly filled, and
| soon surging mass of humanity was
| struggling for the preferred space in the
| aisles and in the passages in the rear of
! the auditorium. Our early arrival enabled
| us to thoroughly appreciate the costumes
| of the women, who were now rapidly fill
| ing the boxes. and whose sombre robes in
| the early portions of the day had chal-
lenged our more serious admiration.
| The military band, which had now arrived,
| saluted the assembled multitude with the
national hymn. The arrival of each woman,
| attired in rich Partisan robe, as she took
! her seat in a box was greeted with rounds
| of applause and appreciation by the other
! spectators, who by this time were thorough
! ly in the amusement spirit. The arrival of
| the Governor and party, who occupied the
box of the President, was hailed with
salute from the band.
BULL FIGHTERS ARRIVE.
Promptly at O'Clock, at signal from the
| Governor the trumpets OF the herald
sounded Two massive doors leading into
| the arena were thrown open as by magic,
and the famous band of Spanish bull fight
ers made a royal entrance amid the deafen-
| ing applause of more than eight thousand
admirers, which completely drowned the
salute of the military band. A moment
later the smiling face of a proud and
naughty senorita of Spain was seen in the
audience The mighty roar of Laura!
| Laurai Lopez! Lopez shook the edifice to
its foundations. There she was, the heroine
| Of the hour the idol of the populace, inlthe
| center of an escort OF picadOrs of as good
| material as comes from sunny Spain. The
names of Potoco, Troni and Bomba are ia
| nous in all parts of the world where the
pastime of bull lighting is practced.
Once more the bugle of the herald
| sounded, and from somewhere a large red
| bull came trotting into the arena, orna-
| mented with tri-colored rosette He stood
| for moment in the center Of the arena
| with eyes like balls of fire and with head
! elevated quivering in every nerve and fiber.
Suddenly, amid the thunder of applause, the
| tore sighted the tantalizing object of a
| bright colored cloak waved invitingly for
| the challenge. With roar and lowering
| his head, he charged upon his enemy. The
| dexterous picador quickly stepped aside, and
| as the now thoroughly enraged animal
| passed he beheld another who was equally
| as adroit in avoiding his charge. The third
| had very narrow escape and the multi
| tude loudly called for Potoco and the ban
derillas,' and this gaudily attired individual
at once presented himself before the en-
ragged animal. The bull lost no time in
charging his new adversary only to receive
the cruel banderilas thrust in his neck
With a howl of approval the spectators,
now at white heat, demanded the blood of
the animal, loudly calling, to Potoco to
draw his sword and deal a death thrust.
Grasping the red mantle of q nearby plea
dor, Potoco boldly advanced to within few
feet of the then stationary bull and slowly
shook the scarlet mantle before his eyes.
Again charging him. the bull received the
cold steel to the very hilt between his shout
! ders and fell dead before his victor, while
blood spurted from his mouth and nostrls in
a sickening food.
1t had been lung thrust and did rot
meet the perfect appreciation of the au-
| dience. While some cheered others Kissed.
| The bank struck up lively piece and the
| dead bull was dragged from the arena hur-
| liedly by pair of mules, gorgeously Cdpar-
! isoned with bright colored harness and GU
rous brass mOuntingS. Again the trumpet
! sounded and the second bull appeared in the
| arena. This animal proved too tame. and
| at the demand of the audience was driven
! from the scene. The third animal proved
more satisfactory and was killed in twenty
| minutes from the time of his entrance by
| Troni, who received a laundering ovation
| even money being thrown into the arena.
| Bull No. jumped the barriers of the 2rena,
and was returned to the central arena by
side door. Bombd entered on stills, and aft
err the bull had made several amusing
attempts TO charge him it was finally killed
to the entire satisfaction of the now thor
| oughly bloodthirsty crowd
| LAURA LOPEZS COMBAT.
The introduction of Senorita Laura Lopez
as an espada was the event of the occasion.
All those who doubted her ability to kill
the large African bull which had been spe-
| cially imported for this exhibition were
| pleasantly disappointed. She advanced TO
| the center OF the arena. A hush still as
| death fell over the multitude. All expected
! that some violent action was to take place
| and many feared that her ability TO kill
| was wanting. / glanced at her just as the
| crowd commenced to call her name.~and |
noticed her face blanched before the ordeal.
! Nevertheless she showed no signs of fear
| as she walked to the enter of the arena
| and calmly awaited the first charge of the
| bull. Armed only with bright -colored
| cloak she advanced toward him with firm
| step. He charged the rag and she dexter
| ousy lodged his onslaught
This action brought forth round of APP
| plause and call for the banderillas. A
| male admirer handed down two beat tiful
ones They We're taken to her by Potoco,
who, bowling to her as he presented them,
| had just time to get a short distance away
| before the bull charged again, and received
| livered with great GOODNESS and precision
from the hands of the woman.
| Wild with pain and rage the bull tore
/ about the arena, scattering the picadores
| like cartridges. Running to the side, she
received her sword and scarlet mantle and