Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-11-19
A BLIND HUNTER,
HOW TOM JOHNSON OF KENTg.ty
CAUGHT A MAD DOG.

Hounds as Well as Ever Fami,,,.,,
with Country AN Explanation III.
Mount Also Blind.
A remarkable feat accomplish .
few days ago by Tom Johnson. vino
has been blind in both eyes for tweu,.
wears. has been the talk of the county
for the past ten days, says q Nichola,.
VILE Ky. letter in the Chicago Times.
Herald. Johnson is fox hunter. He
keeps pack of the finest hounds in
the county. Mag, one of his favor,e
dogs, went mad. Johnson's wife aul
children and neighbor, 10 Harvey
Brumfeld, were out in the yard when
Mag came running through the orchard
foaming at the mouth, and snspping
right and left. 1t was genuine case
Of hydrophobia.
The people in the yard franticaiy
rushed into the house, locked the
doors, and told Johnson of the condi.
ton of his favorite dog, In the
meantime Mag had dashed by the
house and started off in the direction
of a neighbor's. When Johnson was
told of the dogs hydrophobia he arose,
aud, despite the efforts of his family
and Mr.. Brumtield, walked into the
yard. Directly Mag came back and
seemed to he in more violent state
of madness than before. Those in
the house called to Johnson that the
dog was coming, and piteously begged
him to return. The old blinl man
needed not the appeals of his family,
hut stood like statue listening to the
snarling Of the dog. Mag spied him
and came straight to him.
"There she comes" yelled Brum-
field, from inside of 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 blind
mans feet came the dog, and as she
was about to seize his leg he reached
down and, with IN instinct seemingly
superhuman, grasped her about the
neck in yise-like grip.
The dog struggled in vain to free
himself, but Mr.. Johnson started
toward the woodshed, dragging her.
Brumfield came end opened the door
of the shed, and Johnson approached
and hurled the dog inside. Brumield
quickly closed the door, and Mag was
left to her rawlings till a shotgun was
procured and she was killed.
Thto faat nf NJ, q,
one of many in his remarkable career.
He is 80 years old, aud the story of
his deeds sounds more like fiction than
fact. Twenty years ago he was man
Of atlluence, but he lost his eyasigiit,.
,apd, having a-large Atmily, his Tor
tune dwindled until today he has only
a house aud few acres of land. All
his life he has been passionately fond
OF fox hunting, and has always kept a
fine pack of dogs. When he went
blind it was thought his hunting days
were over, but such was not the case.
lie became even more devoted to the
sport. Strange as it may seem, he
has never required guide to aid him
III riding over the cliffs of the Kentucky
river in his chase. Mounted on ms
old blind mule, this blind man may he
seen one or two nights every week
riding along dark and narrow pnth
of n rugged cliff, while his dogs are
searching for trail of fox. After
the trail is found he stops, and al!
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 is. he
knows the mouth" of his every dog.
Did stranger meet him on a dark
night he would never know the man
was blind. Many are the tenderieet
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 rug.
ged cliffs of the Kentucky river, and
that he rides mule as blind rs him
self, it can be considered no less re-
markable.