The New York herald., 1921-07-10
New York's Only Real Bullfight
Painless, Amusing Exhibition of Spain's National
Sport Given Here Forty Years Ago.

for occasional missiles thrown by such
OF the spectators as were behind them.
After q brief warning sfrom Mr.. Bergh
that upon the slightest infraction Of the
imposed conditions he would stop the
show the band blared forth. and the
bullfghters. dazzling In gold and silver
embroidery and brilliant husd satins,
marched around the ring saluting the
assenstlage. Then those who were to
receive the attack of the first bull hav-
ing placed themselves opposite the en-
trance. the bugles blew. the drums
rolled, the door of the toril swung open
and black muzzled head with a gigan-
tic pair of horns on it appeared, gazed
uninterestedly for moment at the scene.
said "Moo-oo-oo" and went back.
The bullfghters relaxed and lighted
cigarettes. while from behind the sud
denly shut door came sounds Of impre.
cations and OF violently kicking hoofs.
Mr.. Bergh started to investigate. but
signal for renewed readiness stopped
him and brought the fighters again to
attention. This time long legged red
animal ambled to the middle of the
RA0NNt40A
give an exhibition Of bucking which no
crazy bronco could ever hope to sur
pass. Probably he had been ridden by
cowboys in some Wild West festivity.
He bucked continuously In the Same
spot like a rockinghcrse. ignoring the
astonished bullfighters, who, having had
no experience with bulls behaving in
this way, got over the fence and re-
fused to return. When he paused for
breath he gazed at the spectators so
amicably that they shouted to the cops
to go In and milk him. This advice be-
ing disregarded. a lone 1rlshman ap-
peared with a cudsel and drove him out
Of the arena.
The next bull entered and laid him
self down. After the bullfighters had
firted thsiR Sioaks in his face he got
up and rather languidly pursued them
When the banderilleros tried to fasten
the sticking plasters on his neck he
stood still and let them do u. Then
he was removed by roping him around
the horns and pulling him out.
The last steer came In bounding like
a deer. The bullfighters took one look
at him and precipitately climbed the
barrier, leaving him circumnavigating
the enclosure in leaps twenty feet long
He wasn't mad. He had Just got loose
and was frisking joyously, as any one
could see by his elevated tail.
The promoters meanwhile seaticulatsd
frantically with the fighters, urging
them to so back and do something.
Some Of them complied, cautiously keep
ing close to the barrier. The steer cav
them from across the ring. perceiving
which they vaulted out again. The
steer followed and flew over the fence
like q bird, landing. OF course, in the mar
row enclosing gangway. The bullfishters
lost not moment IN climbing back.
The police, apparently no. thinking
Of that expedient. raced IN wild panic
around the passage. with the steer gall
loping after them. Screams Of delighted
merriment arose from the benches, min
gled with yells Of go II, cops!" Some
spectators tried to impede the steers
progress by throwing open umbrellas
In front Of him. When the blue coated
guardians janmed the channel and des-
perately climbed over one another he
stopped and stared at them. When
some of them fell In his path he con-
siderately jumped over them. For in
fact he was not viciously chasing, but
merely frightened and following them
to an expected outlet. Finally bull
fighter opened door in the fence and
the animal. without having harmed any
body, darted through 1t iDto the arena.
Then Mr.. Bergh stopped the proceed
ings. Not. as he said, because of any
cruelty to either steers or police, but
because the affair had become so ride
ulous that he was sure that no one
would ever try to repeat 1t.
No doubt the Dreros afterward
bravely faced the fierce bulls Of Spain
as they had often done before OF such
antagonists at least they knew the
worst. But the ways bf American steers
they found inscrutable. And as for the
citizens OF New York who had witnessed
all this and emerged with aching mid
riffs, wherever 3 knot of them gathered
shouts of inextinguishable LAUGHTER shat
tered the silences of unimpassioned
Harlem. PARK BENJAMIN.
NEW York, July 8.