Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-04-23


A correspondent of the Houston
fTexas) Post, who has beenivisiting
the prison at Huntsville in that
State, writes about thej blood
hounds:used there as follows:
"And these are the bloodhounds
l hear SO much aboutP" i re-
marked to my conductor.
Eyes, these are the famous
blooodhounds; that is, as much
of bloodhounds as Us you will
find in Texas. They are simply
foxhounds trained to hunt men" !"
"Do you keep them shut up oil
the time ?"
Eyes, they would make it lively
for the boys if they got out"
"How often do you have occa-
sion to use them during the year?
"Not moro than two or three
times. Convicts will not leave
when they know good hounds arc
on hand to catch them"
"Could you not dispense with
the hounds and depend on your
guns?'
"No, indeed; you cannot hold
convicts with shotguns. II is the
fear OF the hounds that keeps
them quiet. Desertion is useless
when rocapture is q moral Ger.
tainty, as in the case when good
hounds are employed"
"Do you have any difficulty in
properly training your hounds?'
"Oh, no; that is about the only
sport there is. Here como the
puppies. We will give them a
run and let you see how it is
done"
A trusty wns sent down the
lane and over tho fence, through
a large fold, on q run for dear
life. When he had accomplished
about half q mile, or half his cir
cult, the puppies, three six
months old hounds, were put on
his track and they started, nosing
the ground and yelping as they
ran. On they kept, over fences
and through stdbble and bitches,
mover ceasing their noise. Some
times they would run over the
trail where the trusty had made
an abrupt turn, but soon they
would return to the spot where
they lost the scent and cautiously
feel their way until certain they
had the trail, when they would
be off again. The trusty was q
long. distance runner, but the soft
ground made his impromptu track
heavy, and he Jagged as he ap-
preached the end of his run, evi-
IDENTIFY fatigued.
The dogs gained on him rapidly
and We're yolping close behind
him. He was ordered to run to
q tree or fence and get out Of
their way, SO they would have to
find him by the scent. He first
tried to climb gate post, but the
dogs, with their noses to the
ground, were upon him almost
and forced him to take shelter in
n wagon standing in yard,
where he hid himself in the bed
just as the dogs came in at the
gate. They looked up the gate
post and smelled around O little,
and without delay followed the
trail direct to the wagon and dis
covered their prey, lying painting
like a tugboat. I looked at the
perspiring convict, and my heart
smote me for being the cause of
this race, but | soon found out
that it was a great privilege, en-
joyed by but few, and giving the
puppies lace was considered by
them the very essence of pleasure.
The convict took an old blanket
in his hand and alighted on the
ground, where the dogs fought
him fielc,ly, making vicious
springs for him. He repulsed
them by buffeting them with the
blanket, jumping away and
thwarting them in any manner
without hurting them. Finally,
one of the dogs fastened his teeth
in the convicts coarse pants, at q
point where the most cloth was
used in making, and, holding on
with unyielding tenacity, was
swung round and round with
vigor until tired. The dogs were
then taken by guard, and the
convict went away highly pleased
with his sport.