The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-01-14
W0ODF0RD'S ESCAPE.
HOW THE BULEf1CHTER'S SAVED
THE: Ex-MlNIsTER'S LIFE.

a Lucky -1lStake 2t uneral - he III
feet of It-A Mob, Row of Drawn
Swc-ds and Retreat - Spanish Graft
tude in Evidence in the Nick OF Time.
General St wart L. Woodford, for
mer United States minister to Spain,
owes his life to an act OF courtesy that
he once paid to Spanish toreador, or
bul!fghter. There is no moral in the
story. as the act of courtesy was en-
tire;v unintentional and the toreador
was dead, says the New York Com
mercial Advertiser.
One afternoon during the Spanish
American crisis, few weeks before
war WIS declared, General Woodfocd,
accompanied by his wife and nj ece,
went for a drive in the embassy car
riage through the streets of Madrid.
4 noted Spanish toreador had died q
few days previously, and it happened
that his funeral was being held thSt
day. Owing to his,,wonderful success
in killing bulls the mau had become a.
popular idol and his funeral was at
tended by air classes Of Spanish So
ciety. even the grandees sending their
carriages to swell the procession.
Miss Woodfcrd having expressed
the wish to see the funeral, the gen
eral ordered his coachman to drive to
certain point where the procession
would pass. When they arrived there
it was found that a great part OF the
procession lad already gone by.
General Woodford ordered the driver
to turn about and go home, but the
man misunderstood him and drove on.
He attempted to dive right through
the funeral procession.
Such an act is not considered good
taste in. any European country, and
in Spain it is heinous offence. =.
TO make matters worse, General
Woodforl, owing to the unpleasant
relations then existing between Spain
and the United States, was marked
man and by no means a popular one
with the people. The embassy car
rage was one of the best known We
hicles in Madrid.
Realizing how the mistake would
Be misinterpreted by the populace,
General Woodford directed his coach
man, when lie had reached the middle
of the street, to turn and accompany
the procession, intending at the first
opportunity to leave the procession
and drive to his residence. The OPP
sortunity did not offer.
Owing to the dense crowds that
lined the sides of the streets the min
lister was compelled to accompany the
funeral to ths cemetery, intending to
remain there until the funeral party
had gone and the streets werg once
more quiet. J,
After waiting for about al hour
they started to leave the cemetery
and 60 70 their carriage. At the gate
the general found to his surprise that
a company of the civic guard was
drawn up on either side Of the path
leading to the carriage. AS the Am
orleans approached the officer in com,
mand of the guard gave an order and
Immediately the swords of the men
rose in salute. Wondering what on
earth it all meant, the general re-
turned the salute and re-eatered his
carriage: He passed several soldiers
and officers on the way back and his
astonishment was intensified, for
they, too, stopped, faced the carriage
and saluted as it passed.
Sh ortly after he had returned to
the embassy he learned the reason OF
all the unusual respect that had been
shown him. A deputation of torea-
dors called upon him and thanked
him for the honor that he had done
their profession in attending the
funeral of their chef d'armes in per-
son instead of only sending only his
carriage. They assured him that they
would never forget it, and that their
feeling of affection was shared gene
rally by the people of Madrid.
The toreadors were appreclatlYe;
the people Of Madrid were not. A
week or so afterward, when interna-
tional matters had almost reached
climax and nearly ali the Americans
had left Madrid, a mob formed for
the purpose OF destroying the Ameri-
can embassy and, it was feared, to
assassinate the minister and his fam
ily. The toreadors, who live III GER
tain part Of the town by themselves,
heard Of the intention OF the mob and
they resolved to Illustrate it.
They got together and went to Cen
eral Woodford's house to assure him
of their protection and advised him
to send for military aid. Then they
went out to do their part. They
walked down the street few blocks,
drew the terrible little whip-llke
swords, in the use of which they are
so expert, formed double line across
the street and waited. The mob came
up, saw the toreaaors with their
swords really for use and cheered
them. Then they saw that the bull
fighters had their backs turned to the
embassy and their swords pointed at
themselves-and they halted.
They couldn't understand it.
The leading toreador explained
matters. He said that General Wood
ford had once taken the trouble to do
honor to a dead toreador. He had
gone with his wife and family to the
funeral in his carriage. and had driven
all the way to the cemetery as mark
of respect. TIE toreadors were going
to p"otec! the American minister with
their swords aud lives if necessary,
and askel the mob what they were
going to do about ii.
Tie mob stared. They looked the
to.eadovs ,p and down. at their faces
and then at their swords. Then they