The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-28
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Struggle Between Wild Beasts.
Grand Fight Between
Full-Blooded Spanish Bull
And Royal Bengal Tiger,
Direct From the Jungles of India.

For days before the exhibition conversa-
ton in The cafes along the Escolta invari-
ably turned to the subject of the coming
exhibition, and it was evident that the
managers fully intended both to reap a
large harvest of heavy dollars and to wind
up the career of the bull-ring association
in blaze of glory
a hot afternoon in early February found
everybody dhGcting their steps toward the
wooden structure, which consisted of a lot
OF rickety seats piled up around a circular
arena. The reserved sections were covered
with lisht 1907 10 keep off the hot after
noon sun, but die ''bleachers," for those
that held only "Billetes de Sol" were ex-
posed 10 the binding glare. The audience
crowd of COCO persons with dark faces
showing above suits of white sheeting-
found the center of the ring ornamented
With a huge non cage some two rods
square, while Off at the side were smaller
cages containing the "fieras" or wild
beasts.
The show opened amid GREATNESS excite
ment with an exhibition of panthers, and
man dressed in pink tights ate dinner in
their big cage after setting off a bunch of
firecrackers under one of the 'herls. -
which did not seem inclined to wake up
enough to lick his chops or to pretend to
want to eat somebody. The daring Ier-
former lived to digest his glass of water
and one cracker, and a deer was next in
PRODUCED into the enclosure. The panther
even at the command of the keeper, SEEM
ed unwilling to attack his gentle foe, and
on continued kissing from the big audi
ence the animals We're withdrawn.
Then great shouts of "El toro ell toro'
arose as off at the small gate to one side
the bull appeared calmly walking forward
under the guidance of two natives, and
renewed applause arose as the small,
heavy cage containing the royal Bengal
tiger was rolled up to the sliding door of
the central structure.
The bull was showed into the iron iail. a
dozen or more punches of firecrackers were
set off in the small box holding the tiger
in order to wake him up, the slide door
connecting the two was withdrawn, and
with a deafening roar the great Indian cat
rushed forth ard tried to swallow man
who was standing outside the bars hold
ing a heated pitchfork. The bull stood
quietly in one corner wagging his tail, and
after blinking his eyes once or twice pro-
ceeded to examine his antagonist i'm a most
friendly spirit. In fact there's seemed to be
no hard feeling at all between the two
beasts, and the tiger apparently only want
ed to get at the gentleman outside the
cage-not at the bull.
The audience howled and jeered at the
tiger, bet on the bull, and criticised the
man with the pitchfork as he gave the
tiger several hard pokes in the ribs. This
angered the beast so that he made a dive
for the bull and promptly found himself
tossed into the air But as he came down
he hung on to the bulls nose and dug his
claws into tho tough hide. Curiously
enough the bull did not seem to mind that
in the least and the two stood perfectly
still locked in close quarters for some
five minutes. And to make a long story
short, there occurred some four of these
mild attacks--always melted by the man
with the Notwithstanding which the bull
stepped on the tiger, making him howl
with pain, and the latter badly bit the bull
on the legs and nose After the fourth
round both beasts seemed to be in want
of a sesta; il was growing dark, and the
dissatisfied audience cried for another
bull.
The first animal was finally dragged
away after the tiger had gladly retreated
to his cage, and a fresh bull with more
spirit was introduced. Now, however. the
tiger was less game than ever, and no
amount of firecrackers would induce him
10 stir from the small cage. He seemed
far 100 sensible, and literally appeared to
be possessed OF an asbestos skin.
1t was now getting really dark. The au-
dience joined in the chorus of bowls. Peo
pie began TO light matches to see their
programmes, and the circus ring looked
as If il were filled with fire-flies Then the
programmes themselves were ignited 10
get more light; cries of Give us back our
money" and others of a less printable
kind arose, and pandemonium reigned
Men jumped into the ring, but the tiger re-