Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 August 1885 — A CUBAN BULL-FIGHT. [ARTICLE]

A CUBAN BULL-FIGHT.

A Revolting Spectacle Which Ladle* Refuge To Wltneft*. At last the trumpet sounded and in came a motley assemblage. Firstt here was a man on the back of a fiery horse, and a very small boy on a very small pony that was no less spirited. Those two individuals rode up before the judge’s box, and paid the usnal complimentary address to him, the boy holding the man’s hat, while both sought to quiet their prancing steed*. After these came a number of men on regnlar Rozicautes, armed witii long poles that were barbed at one end. Next, came half a dozen men dressed fancifully enough to suit even an Oscar Wilde. The silk stockings,' handsome knee breeches of the same material, and tunics embroidered richly with gold thread, lent a very pay appearance to the arena. Their hair, which appeared to be long, was done up in a knot on the crown of the head. Their smoothshaved, powdered faces gave'them an appearance of youth, which, I doubt not, was fictitious. Over the lofty arena was a long piece of cloth of some brilliant color. These pieces of cloth the bull-fighters first tossed up to the audience as a mere form, and promptly received them back again. The procession also included three mules, which were driven abreast, and were to be employed in the dragging off of the dead bnll.

The ring was cleared of all save the six gayiv-dressed bull-fighters and three of the knights mounted on living skeletons in the way of horse flesh. The trumpet sounded, the gates opened and in pranced bnll No. 1. (There are always, or nearly always, four slaughtered at a fight.) Upon his back was pinned a rosetta/of colored paper, from which floated colored streamers, also of paper. The bull rushed with a snort as far across the arena as the palisade would permit him to go. Then he turned and started across the toward another point only to be again baffled. By this time the bull-fighters got into his path, one after another, and shook their bril-liantly-colored cloths in his faee. Thus irritated, the bnll would make a charge upon the cloth; but of course the actor always managed to jump aside at the critical moment and so escape all harm. Theft the mounted knights were called into requisition. It is a comrqentary upon the deferiration of the bull-fight in Cuba, that the horses used are the very poorest and most decrepit that the whole island affords, and are blindfolded before they are led into the arena in order that they inay not see the enemy with which they are to contend.

The men wore sombreros and had their legs padded up to tjie thigh. They would urge their trembling horses toward the bull, and seek to give a blow with a spear. The result was seldom more than a scratch, but the bull gored the horse with unfailing regularity, anil threw him in such a way that lie would fall on one of the rider’s padded limbs, inflicting only slight damage. Other men would then endeaver to help the poor, whinneying beast to his fee« and if this was possible, tirge him into the fray again. But usually the horse was so badly gored that he had to be removed.

Presently the mounted knights were withdrawn, and other tortures began. The six “brave” men shot barbed arrows into the bull's neck, arrows that were gay with bright colored papers in manifold designs. There was some skill displayed in this, for the men had lo wait until the bull was almost upon them, then" dodge, and as the bull rushed by, lunge the barbed weapon at him. Of course no bow was used in hurling this instrument. The arrow would catch in the tough hide and fasnot easily shake it off, although he would try hard, the while he pawed the earth in fury. Not having sufficiently infuriated the bull, special arrrows were then employed, which were loaded with explosives at the barbed end, and would burst with terrific force when lodged in the hide, tearing and burning the flesh cruelly. Pieces of these fireworks flew up as high as tho seat upon which I was sitting.

At length the bugle sounded for the last act of torture. The leader of the six bull-fighters took a long, thin, pliable sword, and with a red cloth in the other hand, advanced to the bulL Waving the cloth, he would induce the bull to charge. Then he would spring aside, and dexterously pluDge the sword in at the back of the neck or abont the shoulders. Sometimes he would fail in this; sometimes the sword would barely stick into the flesh and oscillate there; sometimes it would go through the hide simply and come out perhaps a foot below, looking like a needle in a piece cloth that has been dropped for a moment by seme dressmaker; sometimes the sword would go in to the hilt, a distance of three feet. At each cruel stroke the bull would bellow loudly, but his vitality remained for a long time undiminished, although the blood was dripping from a dozen holes, and two swords were plunged hiit deep into his back. Gradually he grew weaker, but would not lie down and die. The butcher who had contracted for the carcasses accordingly lassoed him, the fatal point in the neck was pierced with a common butcher-knife, and three mules dragged off the body amid stirring strains from the brass band. —Letter from Havana.