Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-04-15
MAN HUNTERS.
Genuine Bloodhounds and Their
Unerring Work.

''Wynton, allow me to introduce my
friend, T. o. Crauswell, who is the
keeper of the dogs at Pratt Mines, Ala,
and who has the only pack of genuine
bloodhounds in the South
The speaker was L. w. Johns, the
mining engineer. Mr.. Crauswell ad-
vanced and extended his hand to your
correspondent. He was heavily built,
six feet eight inches tall, of florid COM
plexion, and wore wide brim SLOUGH
hat. His feet were encased in high
topped boots, in which his pants were
stuffed. His coat was worn open in
front, showing an immaculate shirt of
snowy whlteness, on the bosom of
which, half hidden in the rutfles, gilt
tered large diamond. He had the
appearance of desperate, but he was
genial and frank and an interesting
talker, with voice as soft as
woman's, and with actions as timid as
girls.
This is the man whose daily life is
spent with pack of bloodhounds, the
fiercest animals raised South.
Il was born in Pike County, Ala,
near Troy, and lived with my parents
there until l was twenty-one years of
age. My father was a hunter, and al
ways kept pack of dogs for hunting
deer and catching runaway negroes.
When was twelve years old remem-
Der being with my father in race after
a runaway negro. The negro had got
ten away twelve miles the start, and
we tracked him up mans chimney.
When was sixteen / took charge of
my fathers negro dogs and followed
them until the close of the war. Ihave
always been fond of the sport of run
ming foxes, and kept it up until four
years ago, when l accepted the posi-
ton of keeper of the dogs at this
place. 88
In 1882 he came to this place and be-
gan to train bloodhounds. He brought
to the mines five famous dogs that had
been owned by his father, among which
were Fannie and Bucker, the two ia
nous man hunters of the South. The
dogs are kept in a kennel in the stock
ade inclosure, and are nursed and fed
by their master as tenderly as children.
Their food consists of bread and raw
beef. The animals, when three months
old, are put through a course of train
ing. A trusty convict is started off on
run with the dog at his heels, and
OF A rttn nf
minutes is taken, and it is increased
until the dog can trail well at q start of
thirty hours on him. The dogs are not
difficult to train; the only difficulty is
to Keep them from changing tracks,
which is, in dog parlance to put dog
on the track of man and his sticking
to it without changing even if other
tracks cross it. Fannie will never give
!, her tongue to any other but the first
track She took, even if one hundred
persons were to cross it. She will fol-
low the track to its end, and, if she
does not find the man, she will stop
and return home.
When a convict escapes a general
alarm is sounded, and the dogs are
= ready. They are taken to the place
where the escaped convict was last
seen. Crauswell mounts his fast horse,
and the dogs are let loose. Each dog
circles for track and begins to hunt.
Every one goes to work for the trail,
like as many human detectives. When
the trail is found the dog who discov-
ers il makes signal and every other
animal follows. Fannie and Bucker
take the lead from any other dog.
Crauswell and horse follow at full
speed, and the longer the chase the
more interesting it grows.
Mr.. Crauswell was asked of some OF
his most remarkable hunts for escaped
convicts.
John Wesley DuBose was white
convict, sentenced for long term.
He escaped from the prison at the
slope February, 1888, and went to
Clanton, in Chiffon County. He had a
start of five hours. He was run by the
dogs until dark, when they were called
in. The next morning he was fol-
lowed to Clanton. His trail was struck
sixteen hours. old, and after he had
taken the train from Birmingham.
When the trail was struck it was fol
lowed three miles, and DuBose, with
his wife, was found in the woods. lie
left his wife and ran on. The dogs
gathered around him, and he began to
fire at them. When Crauswell came
up DuBose swore he would not sur
render, and would never be taken
alive. He was shot at, and in the ex-
change his arm was broken. He was
captured and taken back to prison.
The next break of prisoners from the
mines was Msy 2, 1884, when Dubose
again escaped, with Charles Williams,
JEFF Garner and Ben Davis. DuBose
did not go far; he discovered that the
dogs were after him by their yells, DE
made circle of two miles and re
turned to the prison. He gave HIM