The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1912-09-20
BULL RING TACTICS
Spain's Great National sport"
and the Shame of II.
1T is NOT A TEST OF BRAVERY
The Game Of Blind Mans Buff Re-
quires Moro Courage Than Does the
Work of tho Toreador-The Poor
Hack Horses Are the Real Victims.


Work of tho Toreador-The Poor
Hack Horses Are the Real Victims.
The great majority of the spectators
were Spanish. Here were young dan
dies In fauitless suits and boots of the
most brilliant patent leather. Now
enters woman In the famous man
tilla Of white lace. reserved solely for
the bullfight. There one saw father,
mother and little children Of quite ten
der years. A special box. Immediately
over the door by which the bulls would
enter. was reserved for the president
Of the fight and his friends.
In the ring stood half q dozen police
men. They remained In the arena all
through the proceedings, but there
were wooden shelters at intervals be-
hind which they discreetly retired
when the bull approached. Half a
dozen red buckets filed with water
| stood I'm q row on the sanded floor.
band, just below our seats, played live
ly airs.
The audience being now complete
the first matador marched round the
arena with his little troupe Of picadors
ton hOrseback). toreadors with red
clOaks to wave In front Of the. bulb
and banderilleros, the last named car
rying darts which were presently to
be planted In the back Of the bull.
h.. ie,n 70 an t,,iv
age. The star performer. after the
bull. is the matador. who deals the
deathblow with his sword. All the
other people that | have mentioned are
under the control Of the matador.
The weapons were now inspected by
the president, the men and horses re-
tired and the first bull trotted into the
arena. He was big fellow. rather
slow moving. and he stood for some
little time in the center of the arena
gazing about him at the general scene.
The band was playing gayly all this
time. couple Of toreadors advanced
and set the bull In motion by waving
their cloaks just in front of his horns
1t is commonly supposed In this
country that the toreador is q magnih.
Gently brave person who risks his life
for the pleasure of the excited popu-
lace. That is quite mistake. The
bull never goes for the man, but al
ways for the cloak. So long as the
toreador holds the cloak to one side
instead of in front of him and has the
usual amount of common sense and
ability there Is no reason at all why
be should receive scratch, and / be-
lleve that be very rarely receives even
a scratch If he Is fool enough to get
drunk before he enters the arena, that
Is another matter Under ordinary
conditions anybody who Is pretty good
at blind mans buff' could do the
work of the toreador. The bull, as
matter of fact. cannot turn so quickly
as the blind man.
After little of this teasing from
the toreadors picador advanced,
lance ready poised. Here is the really
cruel part Of bullfghting. the part
that makes it hideously revolving TO all
decent people. The horse ridden by
the plcador is poor old hack, and 1t
is brought into the arena for no other
purpose than TO be killed by the bull
I'm the sight OF the populace. There Is
a bandage over one eye so that the
horse cannot see the deadly approach
ing horn of the bull. The picador rides
his horse right up to the bull. and the
bull is allowed plenty of time to gore
the horse to death. Not the slightest
attempt Is made TO save the horse. l
want TO emphasize this because one
had always understood that the horses
were killed more or less by accident
Why are the horses brought in to be
killed? Champions Of bullightlng will
tell you that the death OF the horse
saves the life OF the matador, that 1t
gives the picador an opportunity Of In
nicting the first wound and that the
mere act of goring the horse robs the
bull of his natural strength Twad-
dle What the picador does could be
done just as well by men on foot or
by man on trapeze or In fifty
ways. The horses are killed to make
slaughter for the crowd, who ar
angry If they do not see enough blood
The death of the poor horse will
leave you TO imagine. Ii Is altogether
too horrible and too pitiful for detailed
description.
Now comes the turn Of the banderil
leros. Each has two little darts These
darts must be placed in the back Of the
bull. just about the end of the neck.
from I'm front of the animal. This re-
quires skill and speed. 1t Is the only
part of the whole proceeding which re-
fleets the slightest credit for bravery or
agility upon the men in the arena.
The bull. after being wounded by the
picador. is now carrying the darts OF
the banderilleros In his back Natural
ly he Is bleeding profusely and is near
ly dead. II is the proud work Of the