The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-04-16
Training BIoodbounds.

In letter from Huntsville, Texas,
to the Houston Post, the writer
says:
And these are the bloodhounds
hear so much about?" | remarked
to my conductor
Yes they are the famous bloed-
hounds-that is, as much blood
hounds as you will find in Texas
They are simply foxhounds trained
to hunt men"
do you keep them shut up all
the time?"
Yes; they would make it pret-
ty lively for the boys if they got
out"
How often have you occasion to
use them during the year?"
Not more than TWO or three times.
Convicts will not leave when they
know good hounds are on hand to
catch them"
Could you not dispense with the
hounds and depend upon your
guns ?"
"No, indeed; you cannot hold
convicts with shotguns. 1t is fear
of the hounds which keeps them
quiet. Desertion is useless when
recaptured is a moral certainty, as is
the case when good hounds are EN-.
ployed."
/ "Do you have difficulty in prop
ely training your hounds?"
"Oh, no: that is about the only
sport there is. Here come the pup
pies. We will have them a run and
let you see how it is DONE"
\ trusty was sent down the lane
and over the fence through large
field, on a run for dear life. When
he had accomplished about half a
mile, or half his circuit, the puppies,
three six months-old hounds, were
nosing the ground and yelping as
they ran. On they kept, over fences
and through stubbles and bitches,
never ceasing their noise. Some
times they would run over the trail
when :he trusty had made an abrupt
turn, but soon they would return TO
the spot where they had lost the
scent and cautiously feel their way
until certain they had the trail,
when they woIld off again. The
trusty was long-distance runner,
but the soft ground made his i'm
promptu track heavy, and he Jagged
as he approached the end of his run,
evidently fatigued.
The dogs gained on him rapidly
and We're yelpipg close upon him.
He was ordered to run to a tree or
fence and get out of their way, so
that they would have to find him by
the scent. He first tried to climb a
high gate post, but the dogs with
their noses % the ground were upon
him almost and forced him to take
shelter in wagon which was stand
ing in the yard, where he hid him
self just as the dogs came to the
gate. They looked up the gate-post
and smeiled around little, then
without delay followed the trail
direct to the wagon and discovered
their party lying painting like tug
boat. looked at the perspiring
convict, and my heart smote me for
being the cause of his race, but | soon
found out that it was a great privi-
lege, enjoyed by but few, and giving
the puppies a race 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 fiercely,
making vicious springs for him. He
rep lsed them by buffeting them
with the blanket, jumping away and
thwarting them 10 any manner
without hurting them. Finally one
of the dogs fastened his teeth in the
convict's coarse pants, aad, holding
on with unyielding tenac ty, was
swung around, with vigor, until tired
The dogs were then taken by a
guard, and the convict went away
highly pleased with his sport.