The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-13
ECHOES FROM ABROAD.

The Spaniards are indeed a strange peo-
pie, for in spite of the extreme gravity OF
the situation Spain has temporarily for
gotten it in the altogether national grief
over the death of Frascuelo, the most eel
ebrated of all the bull fighters of Spain
He was sixty-fve years of age, covered
from head to foot with scars and cica-
trices of wounds received during his long
career in the ring, and he is credited with
leaving an estate worth $500000, which,
according to the ideas there, is enormous.
The street in which his residence is sit
uated was thronged with silent. SOM
Der and apparently sorrowing crowd
who would not permit any vehicular trat-
fic for fear of disturbing the dying man.
In every one of the leading clubs, hotels,
cafes and places of public resort hourly
bulletins were posted up regarding ms
condition, and nothing else was talked OF
but his exploits in the past and the loss
which the nation would sustain by his
death.
Registers were opened at the entrance
of his residence, which was soon covered
by the names of all the grandest per-
sonages in the land. The archbishop of
Madrid himself administered the sacra-
ments and received the old bull fighters
confession, while the queen regent. who
cannot bear the sight of bull fight, and
who has never been seen at one since she
came to this country, sent repeatedly her
grandees in waiting to inquire after the
illustrious patient, who, it is needless TO
say, was of the most plebeian birth.
His funeral will partake of the nature OF
u state event. The entire population OF
the city will turn out for the occasion,
and it has been arranged that one of the
queen regents carriages will take part in
the procession, with lighted lamps,
shrouded with crepe, horses and servants
being adorned with the customary trap
pings of woe. OF course the dead man
! staff. consisting of two banderillos, who
plant short javelins, decked with his
| colors in the shoulders of the bull. and
| arrayed in their familiar red mantelS, as
| well as his mounted picadors, viii follow
| Immediately after the hearse, while his
| puntillero viii bear on velvet cushion
| the long thin sword with which F'ras-
! cueIo has killed more bulls than any other
| single tOreador living or dead.
|
| high and low, by Frascuelo's death and
| impending funeral that it Is impossible TO
| get them to say word about the United
| States or about the political situation.
| considerations which are relegated
| to the background for the nonce. Other
wise the dispatches published in the I'M
| parcial and in the Nacional. describing the
enthusiasm with which President Nc
| Kinleys demand for $50, 0O.000 for pur-
| poses of war was voted by Congress and
the warlike utterances which marked
| the passage of the bill through the House
| of Representatives would certainly have
| created great deaf bigger sensation than
! they did, and might have resulted in a
| popular disturbance, destined to over
| throw the Sagasta cabinet, which is to-
tering as if about to fall, and cannot last
| any longer unless war is declared at
once which can alone save it. Frascue-
| los death has had the effect of giving il
| two or three days respite and it has
| been, from ministerial point of view,
| most fortunate.