The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-29
MAN BEHIND THE DIAMONDS.
MATADOR THINKS PI0KPOCKETS
WON'T GEOLOGIC ON HIN.

He's Just Killed F1fty-nve Bulls In the
Mexican Ring, and a Matador wears
Diamonds Where He Chooses, Even on
n Broadway ar-Worth Near o Million.
Chicuela, Spanish matador, who sails
to-day for Havre aboard La Savoie after
four months Of bullfghting in Mexico, has
been creating a sensation at the Hotel
Lafayette and other places where he ha
roamed unrestrainedly for the last several
days. There is nothing remarkable about
the dress of Chicuela, who to his home
folks in Seville, where he was born, is known
as Manuel Jiminez. He is sinewy, lightly
built, with small hips, comparatively wide
shoulders and has calm dark eyes, olive
complexion and a small black mustache.
His feet are little and his hands as delicate
as those of a we'll bred American woman.
But the things that made folks stare at
him were his gorgeous diamonds. They
are Of the headlight variety, nearly three
/ quarters of an inch in diameter. Two CLEAN
as studs from an immaculate shirt front,
and two more, only a bit smaller, take the
place of a necktie. They are obtrusive.
Chiouela, who speaks Spanish only, told
about himself last night through his friend
and interpreter, Francisco Flores. At
| times, to emphasize his meaning, he waved
his right hand, on the little finger Of which
there was a tiny white diamond. This
was his only gesture. Otherwise he was as
imperturbable as a Briton on parade.
Chicuela was asked if he was not afraid
that he might lose his diamonds in the
Tenderloin or the cars of the town. He
smiled and answered that he believed in
the honesty of the American people; also
that he had the diamonds anchored, and
that, anyhow, he thought he could take
care of himself against the cleverest pick
pockets in town. Had he not killed fifty
i've bulls in the Mexican rings in the last
four months and was be no. young, being
only 20 and active?
Was he the greatest Of Spanish bull
There was one greater than he, and that
one was Bombita. But he had hopes OF
%. B%ullfghting was not the brutal sport
that it had been pictured. He had read
in the Spanish papers about the American
game Of football n had heard that many
was killed in b~ullfghting., He himself,
in all his fighting. never had been seriously
injured.
He liked the American women. They
held themselves we'll n were as con-
selves. Also, he had been much impressed
by the great buildings of New York. Still
there were some tall and beautiful buildings
at Seville. Had the reporter not heard OF
the Giralda Tower, 800 feet highf But so
many Giraldas were a bit astonishing.
The life of a mataGor was limited. After
30 he was considered not in it. Chicuela
himself had been fifteen years in the bull
ring as plcador, toreador and matador.
He began his career in his native town OF
Seville, which has a bull ring surpassed only
by that of Madrid. There he married
while he was still a boy and there his sehora
and his three little children are waiting
for him. One OF the children is a hoy OF 4,
and when he grows up he also will he a
Yes, the little Manuel had seen him fight
in the bull ring at Seville, and it was the
youngsters ambition to be as great as
his father. He would not let the sehora
attend a fight in which he o part be-
cause he feared she might be affected by
the sight OF him apparently in danger.
There really was no danger, no, not at
ali, but wives were timid and it was best
that they should not see their husbands
practising their professions. The Ter-
chant did not take his wife to the shop,
so why should the matador let his wife
attend the bull fight?
He had been treated CALAMITY by tie
theless, the Mexicans we're not as good
bullfghters as the Spanish They did not
have the speed. When would he retire?
oh, not until he had accumulated five million
pesetas, and that he hoped would tie two
years hence. He would surely spend some
of his fortune in diamonds. IL was tie
privilege of a bullfghter to wear as many
Jewels as he could afford and it was con
sidered the proper thing in Spain.
Chicuela said he had never been inter
viewed in New York before and expressed
much regret at being unable u tell the re-
porter directly how much he thought OF
America. He would go from Havre to
Paris and thence to Barcelona, opening the
young, active and very skilful to be a good
matador, and there were only a few of them
left. including Bombita, Of course, and
Chicuela.