SPANISH MATADOR

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 4745, 12 September 1935, Page 7

SPANISH MATADOR

DECIDES TO BE KIND TO BULLS. Bocherito, of Madrid, a famous matador, has publicly renounced his profession, says the "News-Chron-icle." His elaborate bull-fighter's costume now hangs on a peg in a London office. His sword is in the possession of the woman to whom he surrendered it. And Bocherito himself has joined a society for the protection of the bulls—he who once killed them to make an Algerian holiday. It happened at the Maison Caree, a suburb of Algiers. The hot sun struck down on the sand of the bull ring with blinding brilliance. Bocherito, a colourful, gallant figure, struck an attitude as a charging bull roused the excited spectators to frenzy. As the bull charged, Bocherito side-stepped. But the bull thought of that first. His horns took Bacherito in the midriff. He was tossed high in the air, and fell, broken, on the baked earth outside the arena.

Among the spectators who had watched this drama in horrified silence was a woman who had once served as a Red Cross nurse at Brussels with Edith Cavell. She was Marie Ruperto, a Sicilian. She gave Bocherito first aid and later visited him in hospital. She had been present at the bull fight on behalf of a society for the protection of animals. Bocherito was so moved by her kindness to him that he promised to give up bullfighting for ever. Later, in the arena where he had staged his spectacular exploits, he handed to Mile. Ruperto his sword and banderilla. And to make his renunciation complete he has now sent her his costume, saying he has no further use for it. Mile. Ruperto handed it over as a "scalp" to the London offices of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in North Africa, where it now hangs.

Meanwhile Bocherito is looking for a less exciting job.