West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-04-09
MAN HUNTERS.
Genuine Bloodhounds and Their
UnerrinR Work.

"Wynton, allow me to introduce my
friend, + 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.. Crauswen ad
vanced and extended his hand TO vour
correspondent He was heavily built
siN feet eight inches tall of horid com
plcNiOn, and wore wide brim slouch
hat His feet were encased in bi0b
topped boots, in which his pants were
stuffed. His coat was worn open i'm
front, showing an Immaculate shirt of
snowy whIteness, on the bosom of
which, half hidden i'm the rufiies. glit-
tered large diamond He had the
appearance of desperate. hut he was
genial and frank and an interesting
talker with voice as soft as n
woman's, and with actions as timid as
"a girls.
This is the man whose daily life is
spent with pack of bloodhounds, the
IL was born i'm Pike County. Ala.
near Troy, and lived with my parents
there until | was twentv-one wears of
age. My father was II hunter. and al
ways kept pack of dogs for hunting
deer and catching runaway negroe.
When | was twelve years old rcmem-
bcr being with my father i'm a race after
runaway negro. The negro had got
ten away twelve miles the start. and
we tracked him up "A mans chimney.
When | was sixteen | took charge of
my father : 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 | accepted the posi-
tion OF keeper of the dogs at this
place.
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 i'm kennel in the stock
ade incloSurc, 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 trusty convict is started of on
run with the dog at his heels, and
runs short distance. A run of five
minutes Is taken. and il j. increased
until the dog can trail well al n start of
thirty hours on him The dogs are not
difficult To train; the only difficulty j.
10 keep them from changing tracks.
which Is, in dog parlance to put dog
ON the track of man and his sticking
TO II without changing even If other
tracks cross IT, Fannie will never rive
her tongue 10 any other but the first
track She took. even il one hundred
persons were TO cross &c. She will fol-
low the track to IT, end. and il she
doe, not find the man. she will stop
and return home
When "A convict escapes q general
alarm is sounded. and the dogs are
ready They are taken 10 the place
where the escaped convict was last
seen. Crauswell mounts his fast horse.
aud the dogs are let loose. Each doc
circle, for tract md begin, to hunt.
Every one goes to work Tor the trail.
like a, many human detective. When
the trail i- found the dog who discoy-
cr- it makes signal and every other
animal follows. Fannie and Buckcr
take the lead from any other dog.
Crauswell and horse follow at full
-pecd and The longer the chase the
more interesting ii grows.
Mr. Crauswell was asked Of some of
his most remarkable hunts for escaped
cOuyict~
John Wesley DuBo,c was a white
convict, sentenced for long term
He escaped from the prison at the
slope February. 1888. and went 10
ClantOn. in Chiffon County he had "A
start OF five hours He was run by the
dogs until dark, when they were called
~ The next morning he wa, fol-
lowed TO ClantOn His trail wa, struck
sixteen hour5 old, and after he had
taken the train from Birmingham
When the trail was struck 10 was fol-
lowed three miles, and DuBOse, with
hi- wife. was found iu the woods. lie
'cft hi- wife and ran ON. The dogs
gathered around him. and ht began 10
fire af them. Whom Crauswcll came
uu DuBo-c ,worc he would not sur
render and would never be taken
alive He was shot at. and i'm the ex-
change his arm was broken. He was
captured and taken back TO prison
The next break of prisoners from the
mines was Nav Z. 1884. when DuBOse
again escaped, with Charles Williams.
JEFF Garner and Ben Davis DuBose
did not 90 far; be discovered that the
dogs were afIer hm by lheir yols Ho
mtde y circle " iWs Wilss sHd pe.
IasHes " W. gsR0H lls EsYs klais