The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1894-11-21
HLooDHouNDs IN THE SOUTH.
Marvellous Work Done by Dogs In Pursuit
of Criminals.


of Criminals.
Bloodhounds are coming to be con-
sidered in the south as indispensable to
the complete equipment of a good police
department. Time was when such
brutes were the terror of the negro slave,
and the animals deep-toned, dismal
howl as it scented the trembling darky
in the thicket was to the fleeing slave
more ominous of evil and more dreaded
than the sharp cry of the "paterole" in
pursuit or the crack of his pistol. To
this day one of the favorite songs of the
old-time darky as he moves about his
work is:
Run, nigger, run,
Or the paterole will ketch yo.
But the paterole, or, in correct English,
the patrol, has disappeared with slavery,
to be replaced by the modern policeman,
who, assisted by the bloodhound in an
other and more lawful and humane
capacity, now chases criminals rather
than slaves.
The most celebrated and the most
valuable bloodhound in the south is
owned by Patrolman Phipps of the Chat
tanooga police department and is used
constantly by the department in chas-
ing criminals and running them to earth.
This animal has the unassuming name
of Jude. Jude is only 18 months old,
but her record is incompatible. She is
twenty-six inches high and weighs sixty
four pounds. As in all bloodhounds, the
animals ears are her most prominent
characteristics. They are twenty-four
inches long, and flap about the head in
most remarkable manner. Jude has
done some marvellous work. She will
take a trail twenty-four hours old and
follow it with ease. A few days ago the
police department employed negro to
run through the woods and fields of Hill
City, a suburb of Chattanooga, for the
purpose of giving public exhibition oi
and demonstration of the dogs sagacity.
| The negro had been instructed to take 8
route about a mile in length, which
circled and doubled so that nearly every
foot of the ground could be seen by the
spectators, who were standing on lit.
tie knoll, says the Louisville Courier.
Journal.
When the negro had been given hal
a mile start the dog was turned loose
The sagacious dog at once took the
scent and away she went with her nose
to the ground, yelping at every jump,
closely followed by her owner and the
correspondent. On went the dog until
fence was reached. On the other side
was broad pike. At that point the
dog lost the trail for a moment made +:
quick circuit, and soon found it, starting
out again at a more rapid pace than be
fore. After running about a hundred
yards across an old cornfield she sudden
ly turned to the left in an entirely diff
ferent direction and make for the river
still giving forth her sharp but rather
musical bark. Reaching the riverAJud
ran along its bank for quarter of
mile or more, and, without another los
of the trail or a moments hesitation
brought up under large sy ycamore tree
where, sitting down upon her launches
she began to bay loudly in evident salts
faction. Seated securely among tn
branches of the tree was the negro
showing his teeth in a broad grin. H
was told to come down and the do.
wouldn't injure him, but he hadn't go
his foot on the ground before Jude mad
dash for him, and the way he skinnet
back up that tree was a caution.
After this very successful chase tn
negro was instructed to run across
common over which fully 1000 person
had passed during the day going to an
from a shooting match. This was t
show that the dog would not follow an
trail except the one given her at th
start. A short time after the start tn
negro jumped a wide ditch and il too
Jude several minutes to find the trail o
the other side, but she found it by pei
sistent nosing and despite the fact ths
the rest of the ground was covered wit
newly made tracks of hundreds of pei
sons; the animal never wavered afte
that until she treed the negro agai
about quarter of mile away. In TO
lowing this trail the dog passed sewers
other negroes, but did not pay th
slightest attention to them.