The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-23
BULL FIGHT IN SPAIN A
 REVOLVING SPECTACLE
BY PAUL PRY.

considered their bravest feat and brings down the greatest applause.
 The most pitiable part of the bull fight is given In Spain is the part played by the horses. The picadores receive the charge of the bull, already infuriated mounted on the poorest old bony horses that were ever seen They are supposed to prod the bull with the lance and pro- tect themselves and their horses. We soon saw that their defense was worse than childish and we understood why when we learned that the brillancy and success of a fight in Spain depends upon the number of horses slain. Sad com mentary Is 1t not?
 The fight we attended was said to be one of the greatest of the season there were twenty horses killed and eight bulls! The mad rush of the bull toward the horse was absolutely sicken- ing. He lifted horse and rider high in the air and the terrible effect to the poor beast may be imagined. We wanted to know what it all was like but forum ately we could close our eyes to much of it. When the climax came I looked at the Spanish people around me and it was not difficult to see that to them this was the most interesting part. Opera glasses flew quickly to every eye-and surely there was no need for glasses for blood flowed in streams. They say the horses are doped so that they do not suffer- but many we heard cried aloud in their agony. And so the poor bull is wearied before the banderilleros meet him In full charge. This is interesting to watch because it is so cleverly done They entice the bull to charge and stick these Banderillos-about IS inches in length-into his neck and jump cleverly aside. It must of course be expertly done as the bull is charging straight at them. The darts are decorated with colored pa per but are steel and have little prongs SO that they stick in the neck of the bull but do not come out. The blood flows and the poor animal is infuriated. It is said that it the bull is not sufficiently fierce these things have rockets on them which explode in the flesh and the noise as well as the burning goads him to greater desperation
 When all this is over the Matadors ap- pear and the final game begins. We saw two of the very best matadors in Spain Bombita Chico and Fuentes and they say their wealth is among the millions. True that they wave the red cloak at which the mad animal vainy disports it's rage, but the nonchalant manner in which Bombita would meet the infuriated ani- nal and then coolly turn his back and walk away would invariably produce the widest applause. And it was fascinating. Sometimes he would meet the bull in kneeling posture and appear equally brave and debounair. Then Bombita arm ed with red cloth and sword approached the box of the president and dedicated to him the death of the bull and we knew his hour had come. Adrotly he leases the animal awaiting the supreme moment Then in seconds time the sword was in the neck of the bull and through his heart-even up to the very hit. The ap- plause was maddening and as he walked around the arena and bowed acknowl- edgement to the deafening applause so nonchalantly returning to the owners hats, caps, cigars, gloves, etc, thrown in widest excitement into the arena we could not but be surprised that even for such applause men would dare to die.
 It made the heart sick as I wondered what our own Seton Merriman would think of such sport and such pastime.