, 1886-04-01
TRAITS OF THE MAN HUNTERS.

Wonderful Convict Catcher
-Wynton. allow me to introduce my
friend h. o. Crausweil, who Is the keeper
II the dogs at Pratt Mines, Ala, and
Who has the only pack Of genuine blood
hounds in the south"
The speaker was L. W. Johns, the min
ing engineer. Mr.. Crauswell advanced
md extended his hand to your CORE
%.pondent. He was heavily built. six feet
light inches tall. offorid complexion, and
wore "A wide brim SLOUGH hat. His feet
we're encased in high-topped boots, in
which his pants were stuffed. His coat
vas worn open in front, showing an inn
naculate shirt OF snowy whiteness, on
the bosom of which. half hidden in the
r%ufies, glistened a large diamond. He
had the appearance Of a desperate. bur
he was genial and frank and an interest
ing talker. with "A voice as soft as a
woman's. and with actions as timid as a
girls.
In 1882 he came TO this place and be-
gan to train b~loodhounds. He brought
to the mines five famous dogs that had
been owned by his father, among which
were Fannie and Bucker. the two famous
man hunters OF the south. The dogs are
kept in D kennel in the stockade enclos-
ure. and are nursed and fed by their
master rs tenderly as children. Their
food consists Of bread and raw beef.
The animals, when three months old,
tre put through a course Of training. A
trusty convict is started off on a run
with the dog at his heels, and runs a
short distance. A run Of five minutes is
taken, and it is increased until the dog
AN trail well at a start Of thirty hour
m him. The dogs are not difficult to
rain; the only difficulty is Il keep them
from changing tracks, which is, in dog
pE~trlance, TO put n dog ON the track Of a
man and his sticking TO it without chang
ng even If other tracks cross it. Fannie
will never give her tongue to amy other
cut the first track she took, even II 100
persons were to cross it. She will follow
'he track TO its end, and, if she does not
ind the man, she will stop and return
iome.
When a convict escapes, a general
Larm Is sounded, and the dogs are
,eady. They are taken to the place
fiAcht liG tothGId 1oAFlCI was last 5ttAs
'rauswell mounts his fast horse. and the
logs 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
'ound the dog who discovers II makes a
ignal and every other animal follows.
Fannie and Bucker always take the lead
rom any other dog. Crauswell and
uorse follow at full speed, and the longer
he chase the more interesting it grows.
The longest trail this mar and his man
hunters ever had was in March, 1884,
when a negro escaped from from the
shaft prison. He had gone forty miles
and had been AWAY about twentyeight
hours. The dogs had trouble to catch
his scent after such a time. The z
look an astonishing run and went about
Ten miles through water. He was found
At last on top of an old house on
he mountain near Warrior river. He
was half starved when captured.
Crauswen was asked to speak OF some
u the characteristics Of his dogs. Il am
convinced, said he, beyond the shadow
Of a doubt, that a bloodhound has more
than mere instinct. | believe that they
think and reason like human beings. /
know that Fannie and Bucker do. Tho
dogs are docile in camps and very vicious
On a trail. Their sense follows the move
ments Of men. There is no trouble to
get them TO take the track when they
ind It.
After a convict Is captured the dogs
return satisfied, and as happy as II they
had caught a rabbit. When they return
to the prison they become perfectly do
ellie; when called out again they grow
very excited. The affection of the dogs
for me is more like that Of a child TO it's
father than anything else I eau describe.
| feed them myself and they have great
confidence in me. I have five fine pup
pies. 4 months old, that have fur on
them like sheep, which are now ready to
track a man TO the depths of hell. il he
could travel there, and as for hiding a
trail. II il an impossihility L. | am raising
them for sale. and | guarantee them to
find a trail t~hirty-six hours cold. r-Nash.
willie American. M