Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-05-17
PRISON DOGS.

ARK. prison, says a correspondent,
one comes in full view OF Jim Stewart,
a colored truSty, who has charge of
the penitentiary pack. Here are five
blOodhoundS-white Nellie and four
dark-colored dogs-that outrival any
fetterS or any walls in the matter of
restraining convicts from running
away Out at the camp ar Palarm
the other Sunday, convict Jumped
and managed 70 get a clear two
hours start before his absence was
noted. He swan the creek, and, by
diiigent running. had covered nine
miles or more in two hours. Two
men followed him-the guard of the
gang" 10 which he belonged and the
dog man and four dogs. He was
tracked, overtaken and brought back.
Next day he was wearing n heavy
ron spur" something that will
prevent any display of agility "a long
as it is worn. But with the spur on
the convict could not chop wood.
The spur was removed, and the con
vict tod, while the bowling Of the
hounds interrupted the words, that he
could take another run if he wanted
to.
You let IA man swing an axe every
day. eating "A pound and half OF
bre al and meat at a meal, and turn
him loose, and it takes pretty good
horse to keep up with him. With an
hours start he will be good eight or
nine miles before you can catch him.
The man who said that was fully
alive TO the value Of his dogs, his
bloodhounds. or 'unan-trailers, as
some folks might call them.
And now the dogs are tot go through
their usual daily run, for blood
hounds, like pointers and settlers,
need 10 be constantly kept in practice.
At The Walls" and at each one OF the
camps the dogs are given daily rum
longer or shorter, harder or easier, as
circumstances dictate. In the present
instance trusty is started out from
in front of the hospital building. lie
darts off round the corncrib, goes
down along the garden fence. jumps
the ditch on the other side ana
makes sundry devious windings IN
the immense field called n garden,
going around three sides and coming
back 10 the hay barn, climbs up
most and stands in position OF safety.
Meanwhile Jim Stewart, alithe young
fellow. wearing II slouched nat,
whose band is fautastically adorned
with metal buttons. is holding four
dogs i'm lease with one hand and keep
ing Nellie back with the other. At the
proper moment Nellie is loosed and
the leash slipped from the other, and
as Stewart winds his horn away go
the dogs. Nellie i'm the lead. Nellie
has seen the fugitive go down by the
corn crib, and follows, apparently by
sight. Almost before you know II
the whole pack are punched at the
fence. and i'm an instant Nellie Is up
and over a plank and tearing down
the garden. Her nose Is first down,
then up. and never held particularly
close TO the ground A few feet from
the fence she strikes the scent, fol
lows it through the turnip patch,
turns back where il doubles, and
keeps on till she comes swinging
down underneath the south wall, and
then noses closely along till she II on
the home trail. Within five minutes
from the time that the trusty has
climbed into his perch OF safety Nellie
has him treed and is barking at him
with all her might. The other dogs
got a little confused in the turnip
patch. but rallied admirably, going
back on the back track, till the live
trail was struck, and soon coming In
to the hay barn. IL Is all interesting
enough TO look at, but the way the
hounds bay as they give cry isn't any
way reassuring to the man who is be-
ing chased Few OF the dogs are
given TO biting, though some OF them
will bite anybody when they get excited
on the run; but it isn't the dog teeth
thar the fugitive conflict dreeds; 1t Is
the nose that can follow a man through
almost any tangle Of underbrush or
wood.
For second run the dogs follow on
the trail OF the trusty around the
workrhop, the dollhouse, behind the
wagon shop and across the yard.
The scent doesn't lie 80 well on the
hard macadam OF the yard, and Is,
moreover, confused with that ofother
trails; but the dogs keep at 1t and
soon come up to where the trusty Is
safely ensconced In the barn. The
run i declared success.