The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-01
BULL PROVES VICTOR.
RomuIus Endeavored to Duplicate
the Feat of Ursus, in "Quo yadis."


lei Paso, Tex, Feb. 2i-Romulus, the
Italian strong man and the idol of the
sport lovers of Mexico, attempted yester-
day afternoon to repeat the tabled feat of
Ursus the giant Lygian of Sienkiewiez'
popular romance. by wrestling with and
conquering a gigantic bull
The battle took place in the arena in Gu
dad Juarez across the Rio Grande. and
resulted in victory for the bull.
Romulus failure was not due TO lack of
courage, agility or stamina on his part,
and 1t was moi until the struggle had last
ed for two hours that the man, exhausted.
bleeding and bruised, finally acknowledge
ed himself defeated. The bull was a mag
nificent specimen of the bovine tribe, a
4-year-old Shorthorn, weighing 1000
pounds.
He was selected by the city authorities
of Cuidad Jaurez, who always take hand
in public exhibitions to see that people get
the worth of their money. Two thousand
people, drawn largely from the American
side .of the river, witnessed the contest,
which was full of exciting features, not
withstanding the failure of the man to Sc
cure victory. Romulus was assisted by two
professional bullhghters.
These men aided in maddening the ami
NAL and getting him into a fighting mood,
though the Italian was forced to do most
of this work himself, as II was necessary
for him to keep in the thick of the melee
to get an opportunity to seize the beast by
the horns, which were encased in rubber
sheathing TO give the gladiator a firm
hold.
When the beast was released into the
ring he charged right and left at the three
unarmed men, and 1t was ten minutes be-
fore Romulus succeeded in Selling him by
one horn. In a twinkling the brute jerlSed
his head up and to one side, throwing
the athlete over his back and landing him
twenty feet away. The undaunted men
leaped up unframed and returned at once
to the conflict. Again he secured a grip
on one horn and again was Ae hurled over
the animals head quicker than a fash.
Time and again the intrepid athlete APP
preached the lowered head of the madden
ed brute, only to be charged. and several
times he was tossed into the air, but for
tunately he landed on his feet and was
able TO leap to one side before the bull
could reach him again.
-Four times during the conflict the man
succeeded in grasping both horns but was
shaken off before he could bring his
strength to bear. In the midst of the
conflict the, sheathing was torn from the
horns of the animal and, in spite of the
fearless man, the authorities nterfered
and ordered them replaced.
programme. Two ragged Mexicans clad in
the typical garb of the country and arm
| ed with ropes entered the arena to lasso
the now thoroughly maddened brute. In
| flash he charged upon the foremost,
| knocked him down and tramped him, end
! then turning upon the other. treated him
| In a similar manner. Fortunately, neither
man was seriously hurt, and the animal
| was finally roped. thrown and the sheaths
| renlacad unOn his horns.
l., Later the coverings We're again torn off
and the bull In charging the athlete caught
| him under the kneecap with one of the
sharp points, tanning the man so that It
was useless to continue the struggle fur
Their.
Then the Mexican rabble leaped into the
ring and harrassed the creature until the
| spectators dispersed Romulus was seen
| after the battle and asked 10 relate his
| experience. He was badly bruised from
| head TO foot. One eye was swollen and
his thumb had been half severed by one
! of the shap-pointed horns of his antagon-
| list He spoke modestly and simply of his
| attempt to equal the feats of the gadia-
tors of old. He said:
| II have performed this feat repeatedly
/ in private and three times in public in the
| Interior of Mexico, and this is my first
! failure. In this contest the conditions
/ were all in favor of the BUN.
1.-The animal selected by the Juarez au-
| thorities was of the Shorthorn variety and
! not a typical Mexican bull, which has wide
horns. which taper gradually to the ends.
| The ends of the horns are wide apart and
| small enough to allow me TO secure a
| firm grip. and / am able to bring my
| strength TO bear and twist the bulls neck
in short time, as did Ursus in the story
1 of QUO Vadis.'
"The horns of the animal l fought to-
| dau rver,a 50 largo that l could NOT c,aSD