The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-08-24
CATCHING .coNYICTs.
Eow They Arc Run Down by
Hounds in Alabama.
Tho Rroverbial Convict Catching Blood.
hound Is Nothing More Nor Less Than
Small Fox Hound Trained with
Considerable Care.

SibICu WIN ooupus
"Uncle Toms Cabin" and other stories
and dramas of that character would lose
half their interest without the horror
inspiring bloodhounds. Since tho war
tho bloodhounds in the South have been
trained to chase escaped convicts.
Every few days newspapers all over the
country publish kilograms from some
Southern city giving an account Of the
escape OF convict and his capture by
the aid of bloodhounds.
Those convict-oatching bloodhounds
are amyth. There are no such dogs in this
section of the country. The dogs used
in trailing escaped prisoners arc small
fox hounds, very insignificant and
harmless animal.
At Pratt Mines, five miles from this
city, there are twelve hundred convicts,
leased by the State to tho Tennessee
Coal, Iron & Railroad Company, writes
Birmingham (Ala.) correspondent OF
tho st. Louis Globe-Democrat. The
company is responsible for the safe
keeping of tho convicts, and isrequired
to pay the State n good round sum for
every longterm man who escapes.
To capture those who escape the COM
pany keeps large pack of hounds.
These dogs are small red fox hounds. A
few of them are spotted, but tho major
ity are solid, dull rcd color They
are small, slcndcr-limb bed animals. c1pa-
bic of fair speed and endurance, and they
can without difficulty follow o trail five
to eight hours old.
The dogs ut Pratt Mines have for
years been in charge of r. II. Crosswell
They are kept in large stockade
short distance from the prison, and
never taken outside the Enclosure ex-
ccpt when wanted to trail escaped con-
victs In appearance these hounds are
rs lazy and cowardly as any "yaller
dog" in existence, but when once they
strike tho trail OF convict they become
all life and animation. From puppy
hood these dogs have been taught to
follow nothing but tho trail of men.
They arc never allowed to hunt game Of
any kind, and would pass over the trail
of fox or deer without notice.
To get the dogs on tho right trail
q coat or hat belonging to tho escaped
convict is obtained if possible and
held to the nose of each dog, while
Trainer Crosswell by signs makes
them understand that Is the scent
they are expected to follow. They are
then taken to the point where the con-
vict made his escape from the mine or
prison, or to the place whore he was
last seen. The moment they scent the
trail they recognize it and give sharp
yelp. Their lashes are then slipped off,
they are told TO &C and the race begins.
Guards on horses follow close behind
Trainer Crosswell, who rides fleet
horse and keeps right with the dogs.
AS soon as the trail is struck the baying
of the hounds begins and the music they
make would stir the blood in any old
hunters veins. The dogs follow closely
at first, but as the trail grows warmer
they increase their pace. The fleeing
convict may run through crowded
street, double on his track, enter houses
and mingle with crowds OF people, but
he can not dodge the yelping pack OF
red dogs on his trail. There is only one
chance to escape them, and that is UNI
certain if they are close behind. By
taking to water the dogs can be thrown
oil the trail. If tho convict can reach
small creek and wade through the water
in tho middle OF tho stream several
miles he may be able to escape the keen
scented pursuers. They can not follow
him in the water. If the dogs are close
behind this plan will fail, because tho
guards separate the dogs and follow
both banks of the creek. often distance
Of several miles, in the hope of striking
the trail again.
Trainer Crosswell is proud of his dogs.
Once fairly started on trail they never
lose it unless thrown off the scent by
hard rain or the convict taking to water.
They have trailcd men through the
principal streets of this city where
thousands had passed over the trail and
finally run the fugitive down. They
never make mistake. Ii they are
started on the right trail they follow 1t
to tho end. When several convicts
escape together and separate in the
woods when pursued tho dogs are
divided and the separate trails all fol-
lowed.
The narrowing stories told in novels
of mon being torn to pieces by blood
hounds have no foundation, When the
dogs overtalic an escaped prisoner they
mako no effort to attack him, but
simply circle around while their deep
mouth baying tells tho guards the game
has been run down. As soon as the
guards como up ard secure the prisoner
the hounds Immediately relapse into
that state of lazy Indifference which
characterized them before tho opening
of the long chase.
On several occasions these dogs have
done good service in trailing down muir
derers and burglars. Trainer Crossweu
says he can take any ordinary fox-hound
when young and teach it to trail men.
1t is entirely matter of education and
not of breed.
only One Days Delay.
In Chicago recently the boiler and en-