The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-03-04
CUBAN BLO0DII0UNDS
They WE'RE uss6 Id THE SOUTH
TO HUNT RUNAWAY SLAVES.

Gifted with a Remarkable Instinct 10,
Tracking-They DO Not bay Like the
English Hounds-They Are Now Used to
Pursue Escaped Convicts.
The first Cuban bloodhounds landed
upon this continent were imported two
hundred years ago by Spanish planters
OF Louisiana, then Spanish territory,
We all know what the dons We're about
1900. Negroes We're cheaper then, and
il slave gave trouble it did not much
matter that the bloodhound's hold up
on his throat was broken only by the
tearing of the flesh and ten6ons. MANY
times in those days the fugitive negro
did not live after his capture. If he
succeeded in gaining a tree, his olive.
skinned masters shot him out as they
would a squirrel. II on the ground
when caught the dogs killed him,
sometimes before the arrival of the
horsemen, who had ridden hard to be
in at the death.
The Cuban hound was valuable dog
and he was well treated. In some of
the old court records of Louisiana are
bills of sale of him. In instances the
prices ran as high as $500 a pair. The
breed spread all through the south, al
though l have never heard of the dogs
being used as man hunters in the up.
per tier of southern states.
AS matter Of course, the planters
Of this century were careful to protect
their slaves as far as possible from ats
lacks by the animals. This was gen.
orally easy. The runaway slave inva-
riably made for the swamp at the back
of the plantation. 1t contained many
streams and lagoons, which aided him
in throwing the dogs off the scent.
The bloodhound is now used only
in the pursuit Of criminals. Every
southern penitentiary has a brace or
more of them. They are not infrequent-
ly part of the sheriff's outfit The
breed is not always pure, but the dogs
serve their purpose better than fairly
well. Their keenness of scent is one
of the most remarkable things in ma
ture, though it is Of value chiefly in
the more thinly settled regions. 1t
seems incredible that the mere Tempo
rary pressure Of a mans boot or shoe
upon the ground should leave trace
able scent for twenty-four hours, pro-
viding that there has been no rain,
but there is no doubt that it does.
! SOmltimps in tho cn1th
breaks Jail. Until the universal in
PRODUCTION Of chilled steel cages this
was not a difficult matter. Dogs are
telegraphed for at a distance probably
| of $50 miles. They arrive a day after
the escape. They are led in leash to
the point where the criminal is sup
posed to have made his exit and uncou-
| pied. They take up the scent instant
ly and follow it rapidly. The man must
| have crossed much water or confused
| his trail with the hurrying footsteps
| of dozens of others to throw them off.
| Always supposing that twenty-four
| hours is the extreme limit of law"
| allowed the fugitive, the bloodhounds
are the best means of effecting his
capture. Having far to travel, they
do not bay They have no breath to
| waste.
The English bloodhound, or the
| bloodhound of the continent for that
matter, not only bays, but has re-
markable sonorous and beautiful voice.
He "Opens" as it is technically term
ed, upon cold trail and keeps it up
until the quarry is sighted or run
down.
He is of great size, with deep chest,
| powerful shoulders, massive head.
dropping jaws and long ears, remark
ably sagacious and affectionate animal.
courageous, though not especially saw
age, and one of the best friends man
ever had. This hound is known in the
old prints as the "sleuth" hound, or
slot hound, taken from the old
"sleuth" or "slot"-otherwise "trail''-
of the deer. He is called the blood
hound, not because he is particularly
fond Of blood as a matter of diet, but
because, having once found the blood
trail of wounded animal, he follows
it with wonderful stanchness.
The English bloodhound is not used
in the south. The dog there is the
Cuban bloodhound. He differs mate
rally from his English cousin. He is
larger, fercer and swifter, with more
| of bulldog cut about the head. He
is probably a descendant of a bull
cross. He is invariably mute until his
quarry is sighted. Almost any dog
will give tongue when he comes within
view of the object of his pursuit after
long chase. This dog is not snap
per- as is the English. He is a pin
ming dog, which comes probably from
his bull strain. Once his teeth are
locked they can be disengaged only by
the ingenious method of grasping his
nostrils and shutting off his breath.