Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1910-03-13
BILL" PICKETT
Oklahoma Half Breed Cowboy
BY w. c. THOMPSON.

Copyright 1910 by The New reserved1
Il will come as a surprise to the people of this
/ country to learn that American is the only man
I in the history of bull fighting who ever batted,
I bare handed and unaided. with Spanish bull;
that the encounter took place before twenty-five
thousand persons in the Mexico City arena; that a
the southern republics still angry discussing the
unprecedented event, and that the native newspapers
published pages in text and pictures.
No sooner had Bill Pickett an Oklahoma halfbreed
cowboy performed the feat and been dragged to safety
from fusillade of missiles hurled by the enraged
Mexican onlookers than every outlet of news was
closed Neither by Gord of mouth by telegraph nor by
mail permitted 70 be carried outside of
Mexico that an American had given demonstration
of nerve courage, strength and daring that had be-
Titled the boosted prowess Of every professional
toreador and that his achievement had nearly cost
him his life at the hands Of the mob.
But in spite of all the precautions bit by bit the
story has sifted into America. Here and there pct-
ure or hint of the amazing combat has appeared,
but the full tale in all its splendid horror never before
has been told exactly as 1t occurred
The narrative is in all its details If you seek
corroboration | commend the pages of FL lmparcial
lei Diarlo, El TEMPO, I'll Herado or any and all Mex
lean newspapers up to and including December a.
1909 After that date they give no nEng of the event
that for days had been their conspicuous sensation
neTogae the bull fight devotees even as far north
the Juarez or Laredo arenas. They'll shake their
fists and hiss their abomnaton of the name of Pickett
and all the national shame recalls Question one of
the forty thousand American residents of the City of
Mexico and the glorious memory of Will momentar1y
submcrge even the omnlpresent, all pervadng dread
of a revolution and its possible consequences to the
colony. And that's some emotion for / don't believe
there's of them who has neglected secret arrange
ments for sale and hurried flight if the dreaded clash
of arms is heard.
Pickett is a strapping cowboy, whose mother was
a full blood Choctaw Indian and father mixture of
the white, Indian and African races. He's commonly
known in the Southwest the dusky demon" On
the New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma ranches they
tire of the stories of his reckless daring with
wild horses and cattle. Never has he failed to re-
sp0nd with grinning alacrity to the challenge of the
rough and ready Westerner who vowed he could
nc man ipor borCn Or flo M
throw that murderous steer. Once they ptted him
at the Ell PasO fair against furious elk, with ire
mendous sweep of shaggy bladed horns and strong
enough In its forefeet to have killed him with Il
single stroke. Pickett threw the creature its back
in less than ten minutes and emerged from the COM
bat unscathed. Then the Southwest decided that
the four footed herbvoous beast who could beat the
man in a stand UP fight didn't exist, and it with
this conviction that we penetrated Mexico.
Picketts exhibition of daredeviltry with the tent
show that had invaded Mexico consisted of mad
scamper a-horse, in chase of Texas steer, midar
leap from the saddle of the galloplng horse to the
horns of the still fleeing quarry and struggle for
supremacy which inevitably ended in the overturning
of the steer. The feat is not an uncommon one at
prairie gatherings, but it to the Mexicans. 1t
the only American achievement they had ever
seen that had anything at all in common, even vague
w. with their beloved bull fighting. One after
noon the bull fighters came in a body to watch. They
laughed contemptuously.
Joe Miller, of three brothers who own the big
101 Ranch of Oklahoma, happened to also own half
of the show. That night he was at the Cafe Colon,
the rendezvous of the bull fighters, announcing his
belief that for fun or money Of the fraternity
would dare perform the trick. Bienvenda famous for
his eye and stroke, cunningy deXerous and deadly
a matador Spain Mexico produced, accepted
the challenge. He would be at the o'clock
the following morning and give the Boosting Americans
a lesson in grace, courage and skill applied the
subjugation of the bovine species. Senor Louis r.
Correa, of the Mexican Herald, the interpreter at
the interview and the details duly chroncled the
next morning in that publication and in the native
temporares.
Well, Bienyenida didn't show up No word of
PLANTATION apology came from him. Two
guests waited and wondered. We despatched a
messenger to his hotel. There olled Benvenida.
rather shame faced and anguldy regretfu that he had
been forbidden by the bull ring authorities under their
contract with him from risking his valuable bones and
body outside the national arena!