The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-26
kentucky's Blind Hunter.

d;spach from Nicholasville, KY, con-
ta.ns the following remarkable story:
Tom Johnson, who has been blind in
both eyes for twenty years, has been the
talk of the county for the past ten days.
Johnson is fox hunter. He keeps pack
OF hounds. Mag, one of his favorite dogs,
went mad. Johnson's wife and children
and a neighbor, Joe Harvey Brumfield.
were out in the yard when Mag came
running through the orchard foaming at
the mouth and swapping right and left.
It was genuine case of hydrophobia.
The people in the yard frantically rush
ed into the house, locked the doors and
told johnson of the condition of his favor
lite dog. In the meantime Mag had dash
ed by the door and started of in the
direction OF a neighbours. When Johnson
was told Of the dogs hydrophobia he arose,
and despite the efforts of his family and
Mr.. Brumield, walled into the yard. d.
rectly Mag came back and seemed TO be
in more violent state Of madness than
before. Those in the house called to john
son that the dog was coming and piteously
begged him to return. The old blind man
needed not the appeals Of his family, but
stood like statue listening 10 the snarl-
ing of the dog. Mag spied him and came
straight TO him.
There she comes" yelled Brumfield
from inside the house. Still the old man
stood his ground Within ten feet OF him
Mag stopped. then slowly approached him.
still swapping and snarling. Right to the
bind mans feet came the dog, and as
she was about to seize his leg he reached
down and, with an instinct which seemed
superhuman, grasped her about the neck
in a vise-like grip.
The dog struggled in vain to free her
self, but Mr.. Johnson started toward the
woodshed, dragging her. Brumfield came
and opened the door of the shed, and John
son approached and hurled the dog inside.
Brumfield quickly closed the door, and
Mag was left to her rawlings till shotgun
was procured and she was killed.
This feat of Mr.. Johnson's is only one
of many in his remarkable career. He Is
80 years old, and the story of his deeds
sounds more like fiction than fact. TWEEN
ty years ago he was a man of affiuence,
but he lost his eyesight, and, having a
large family, his fortune dwindled until
today he has only house and few acres
Of land. All his life he has been passion
ately fond Of fox hunting. and has al
ways kept a fine pack of dogs. When
he went blind 1t was thought his hunting
days were over, but such was not the
case. He became even more devoted to
the sport. Strange as il may seem, he has
never required guide to aid him in rid
ing over the cliffs of the Kentucky river
in his chase. Mounted on his old blind
mule, this blind man may be seen one or
two nights every week riding along a
dark and narrow path of rugged cliff,
while his dogs are searching for the trail
of a fox. After the trail is found he stops,
and all night long listens to the baying
of the dogs as they follow the trail, NOV
ing only when Reynard leads the dogs to
more distant parts.
Typical fox hunter that he s, he knows
the mouth" of his every dog. DID a
stranger meet him on a dark night, he
would never know the man was blind.
Many are the tenierfeet he has led on
these night hunts. His ability to find his
way on these chases is accounted for by
him in that he is perfectly familiar with
the scope of country over which he hunts
but when it is remembered that this scope
extends for many miles along the rugged
cliffs of the Kentucky river, and that he
rides mule as blind as himself, it can
be considered no less remarkable,