Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-03-26
TRAITS Of The Nan EuarEss.
The Master Of the %Bioodhohnds md HIs
WOnderrM Convict Cnschers.

The Master Of the ~Bio0dhohnds and His
Wonderful Convict Catchers.
-Wynton, allow me to introduce my
friend E. o, Crauswell, who is the keeper
Of 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
and extended his hand to your CORE
spondent. He was heavily built, -sixfeet
eight inchestall ofhorid complexion, and
wore a 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 inn
maculate shirt of snowy Wilderness, on
the bosom Of which, half hidden in the
%rufies, glistened a large diamond. He
had the appearance of a desperate, bur
he was genial and frank and i'm 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 bloodhounds. 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 a kennel in the stockade enclos-
ure, 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 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
can trail well at a 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 a dog on tt track of a
man and his sticking to it without chang
ing even if other tracks cross it. Fannie
will never give her tongue to any other
but the first track she took, even if 100
persons were to cross it. She will follow
the trN. k 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
a 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 discovers it makes a
signal and every other animal follows.
Fannie and Bucker always take the lead
from any other dog. Crauswell and
horse follow at full speed, and the longer
the chase the more interesting it grows.
The longest trail this man 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 twenty-eight
hours. The dogs had trouble to catch
his scent after such a time. The negro
took an astonishing run and went about
ten miles through water. He was found
at last ON top of an old house on
the mountain near Warrior river. He
was half starved when captured,
Crauswell was asked to speak of some
Of the characteristics Of his dogs. II am
convinced" said he, Beyond the shadow
Of a doubt, that a bloodhound has more
than mere instinct. l believe that they
think and reason. like human beings. /
know that Fannie and Bucker do. The
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
find it.
"After a convict is captured the dogs
return satisfied, and as happy as if they
had caught a rabbit. When they return
to the prison they become perfectly do
Gle; when called out again they grow
very excited. The affection of the dogs
for me is more like that of a child to its
father than anything else l can describe.
feed them myself and they have great
confidence in me. l 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, if he
3 could travel there, and as for hiding a
I trail, it is an impossibility. 1 am raising
them for sale, and | guarantee them to
find a trail thirty-six hours cold."-Nash.
vile American.