Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-03-13
The Bull Hesitated for One Providential
Moment 1t Saved Both Men

II If we'd only been content with this moral triumph
for we were convinced that Bienyenida had deliber
aely shown the towards white feather and publicly
expressed our exulationthe most exciting chapter in
the history of the Mexican bull ring would never have
been written. But Joe Mier's gee knew no bounds
and his Amerlcanism running rampant. TO the
Cafe Colon he and Senior COrrea hurried again. and the
dumfeunded bull fighters and their assembled wor
shippers heard him propose to match Pickett bare
handed and unaded, against the most blood hungry,
hating, fighting bull the republic could provide
incidentally, may mention that he hadn't ever con-
suited Pickett in the matter!
The apparent superlatiye folly of the proposition
and why to the Mexican mind its execution meant
the sure speedy and sickenng death of the luclless
may not be obvious to the American unfamiliar
with the bull ring and its practices. III explain.
You see, in the conIbas professionally provided
for the entertainment of the public the bull fighter
relies upon his quckness of eye and foot lie eyades
the mad rushes of his antagonist never grappes.
The fight has been described a tragedy in three
acts The picadores mounted ON worthless, blind
folded horses first receive the charges of the bull
with ances. Whenever a horse is wounded the rider
betakes himself to fight, and when either this hap
pens or a picador is thrown the chulOs rush in and
attract the animal from his prey by their red coaks
saving themselves, if need be, by leaping over the
palisade which encloses the arena.
When the bull has been reused to frenzied fury by
the proddings the picadores are replaced by the
chuos, who bring with them the banderillas barbed
darts which they drive into the beasts shoulder.
Then the matador enters to complete the tragic bust
ness The bull is weak from loss of blood and be-
wildered, but still fierce and active. In his right
hand this chief combatant holds naked sword; in
his left the muleta, stick with piece of scarlet silk
attached AS soon as the bulls eyes catch the mueta
he PUSHES blindy it, the matador lodges nimbly,
deXterously punges the sword into the spine and the
animal drops dead at his feet.
The bull fighters thus, you will understand per-
form their deadly work at a distance from the four
footed foe. Never would one of them dare to even
lay hands a bull They save their precious lives
by their remarkable agility in evadng the animals
furious assaults. Moreover the brandished cloth,
the color of which the bull has been taught from i'll
fancy to detest, is the target of attack not the
y
his eyes when he charges. steer doesn't. Few not
intimately familiar with bovine habits know this.
To return to Joe Miller and his cowboy Pickett the
gay Mexican capital was Immediately agog with the
story of the audacious challenge. The bull fighters
laughed uproariously. The Mexican newspapers and
the Mexican public demanded that the Americans
make good. If Pickett wanted to sacrifice himself
upon the altar of American egoism let him do it, They
would turn out in force to witness the fun" they
promised, for human death in the bull ring affords
only hereditary amusement to the patrons of the
sport"
AS for Pickett himself no one was urging Mr. Miller
more vigorously than he to see the thing through.
Senior Rvero, impresario of Ell Toreo, the big new
steel and concrete bull ring, promptly gave permission
to hold the encounter there, and Mr. Miller delegated
him to select the animal against which the cowboy
should be ptted He named Bonito great, fierce coal
black bull who had once been loosed in the arena, who
had killed two men and half dozen horses and Who
had been spared the death thrust upon the eneates of
the spectators SO fierce and strong bull they cried,
should not suffer an inglOrious death The tribute
was one paid not more than once or twice before or
since in the history of Mexican bull fighting Bonit0
was returned to the corrals and there he remains to
this day. paving the ground ceaseessly and below
ing his undated longing to fight and kill.
This them the lamblike creature selected to
gore the American to death fling lifeess body
trumphantly in the air afternoons entertain
ment Mexico City agreed. Benvenida accelerated
pubic anticipation by publishing his signature in
the newspapers "E entierro de este Pickett el
segundo acto de este drama" whose free translation
Is "Pieketts funeral win follow his foolhardness."
How much effect the dire prediction had upon the
"dushy demon" may be gained from the fact that we
persuaded him with difficulty from attending dance