The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-01-26
BASS, The BULL FIGHTER
Gives an Interesting Exhibition at
Spencer Park and Stirs Up
Things In General.

more or less excited over the pro-
posed show and almost everybody
has had something to say about
it. For the benefit of Press read
ers in districts remote from San
Angelo, the following statement
will explain things. San Angelo
ties know pretty well how it all
came about. Twas like this:
Some DAYS ago Captain Garlic
ton Bass of Mexican bull ring
fame arrived in San Angelo with
his manager and assistants. lie
went to work to feel the pulse of
the people regarding the exhlbi-
tions which were his line of bust
ness. He qualified to do business
in San Angelo and Tom Green
county by paying his occupation
taxes. He found that the people
of San Angelo wanted to see his
show and he made preparations to
pull it off. While practicing
with a bull at the fair grounds
week before last one of the bulls,
vicious long horned red one,
gored to death horse owned by
J Willis Johnson. This occurred
very suddenly and was purely
accidental as the horse was stand
ing hitched to buggy and the
bull was being driven by to u
nearby pen.
The first performance was
scheduled for Friday afternoon.
At about the hour at which the
exhibition, coupled with bull
riding and broncho busting as
side lines, was to start, Sheriff j
S. Mcconnell announced to the
audience that no bull would he
turned into the ring, but that
whatever other performances
there might be put on, there
would be no exhibition of a bull
fight. The crowd went to the
gate and every man got his money
back. 1T is even SAID that there
were some people who went in
free who were paid the price of
admission.
Sheriff McConnell's action was
taken only after consultation with
attorneys and by authority of the
encouragement of Texas. The
law provides.
That any person who shall
voluntarily engage in a pugilistic
encounter between man and man,
or a fight between a man and IL
bull or any other animal, for
money or other thing of value, or
for any championship, or upon
the result of which any money or
anything of value is bet or wag-
cred, or to see which any admis-
sion fee is charged, either directly
or indirectly, shall be deemed
guilty of felony, and upon con-
viction shall be punished by i'm
prisonment IN the penitentiary
not less than two or more than
five years"
Saturday morning it was adver-
tised that an exhibition would be
given at 3 o'clock that afternoon
consisting of bull riding by Cap
tain Bass and broncho busting by
Tom Privett, after which free
exhibition of bull fighting would
take place. This was followed by
an announcement by Sheriff Me-
Cornell that mo bull fight"
would occur.
A large crowd greeted the per-
Torrance. Tom Privett rode
broncho and two young mules.
Captain Bass rode three bulls, the
last one of which was the same
vicious red one which killed the
horse. The most entertaining
and amusing parts of the show
took place during the efforts made
by those within the pen to rope
and throw the bulls. Several |
narrow escapes from injury were
had by Captain Bass attendants.
While the audience did not feel
that they were altogether highly
entertained, the feeling that Cap
tain Bass deserved their patronage
kept every spectators attention
riveted upon the performance,
which was heartily cheered at
various times and altogether we'll
received.
The people were told what the
show would consist of and were
told that if they were not salts
fled they could get their money
back at the gate. No one is re-
ported t. have availed himself of
the opportunity however. 1t was
afterwards announced that free
bull fight exhibition would be
given at any time within twenty
four hours, and that if the people
wanted to see this performance,
1t was up to them. After con-
sultation between the manager of
the show and Sheriff Mcconnell
it was announced that such an
exhibition would be given Mon