New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-06
SOUTHERN DLOODHOUNns
SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF THE mo-,
USED IN PURSUING CRIMINALS
IN THE SOUTH

pursuit Of fugitive slaves and now used 10 ,,.s
escaped criminals is dog that bays The rs.
son FOR the inquiry is found in his quo,s,f,
from Uncle Toms Cabin" wherein the 10
mouthngs OF the blOOdhOunds upon tho ~.
mans track are mentioned. He SUSPECTS ~
Harriet Beecher Stowe OF an anachronisn
suppose that the lady's knowledge Of bIoos.
hounds was not extensive. ! have found in -,
readings that novelists and other writer's cor,
NIT more solecisms about animals than Abr,
anything else. Not every man Or woman ~,
puts pen to paper takes the trouble 10 ins,--
himself or herself Of the simplest facts In N,
lives and habits OF our brute companions
Doubtless Mrs. Stowe makes her bloodhound,
bay hard upon Uncle Toms trail because M,
was the proper dramatic thing to do Dou.,
less, too she had read many times Of tho bay,,,
Of bloodhounds. In the first canto Of The IsJ,
OF the Lake" Scott remarks that the deer,
mouthed bloodhound's mellow bay resounded I,
the rocky way That was the English 5lo,l
hound The English bloodhound or the bloo;
hound OF the Continent for that matter IA
only bays, but has a remarkably sonorous ani
beautiful voice. He "Opens" as Il Is .echn
cally termed, upon cold trail and keeps 4 Q;
until the quarry Is sighted or run down He 4
OF great size. with deep chest. powerful sh0g.
ders. massive head dropping jaws AMI long ear,
a remarkably sagaciOus and aToctionate ANNA,
courageous. though not especially savage. A.!
one OF the best friends man ever had n,
hound is known in the old prints A. he "sleu,a'
hound. or slot" hound taken from the "A
"sleuth" or "slo:"-otherwise trail 4,
deer. He is called the bloodhound not becaus,
he is particularly fond O., blood a. a matter ,
diet. but BECAUSE. having once found The BLOT
trail of a wounded animal he follows u gt.
wonderful stanchness. He will. Do fact gn.es
taken off by force. follow 4 anil be- drops ani
rising viii stagger along untH he falls again
The only English bloodhounls have eyer seer
outside II a few stroliing Uncle Tom" thaatr.
cal companies were kept merely a. 0rnamen,s
and DO not think that they would have bee,
OF value in chasing the deer
The English tlDDdbturd rleaF N -.
South That is whore Ms Stoves error Vas
made. The dog there - the Cuban h.0o1h0gsi
He differs materially from his English o0lsr
He Is larger. fercer and sNfter with more =
bulldog cut about his head He Is probably
a descendant % a bull cross He is Invariably
mute until his quarry is sighted Almost arr
dog will give tongue when be comes within ylsF
OF the object II his pursuit after lous chas
This dog j. not a snapper. as j. the En-..sh i.
Is pinning dog, which comes probably re-
his bull strain once his teeth are locked 'hT
can he disengaged only by the ingenious meth.
OF grasping his nostrs and shutting n q
breath
The first Cuban bloodhounds landed upon n,
continent were imported Two hundred y'ars a.,
by Spanish planters ~ Louisiana, th"n SPANS.
territory. We all know what the ions vefi
about 100 Negroes were cheaper then and F,
slave gave trouble Il did not much maiig
that the bloodhound's hold upon his ihtlai wE
broken only by the tearing % he flesh and To-
dons. Many times IN those days The sigiti's
cesded in gaining tree. his ollye.sk.nue mas.
tiers shot him out rs they would A squirrel Z
on the ground when caught tn dogs killed hin
sometimes before the arrival ~ m" horseMe,
who had ridden hard 10 be- In az the d.ath
The Cuban hound was valuable dog and ;.
well treated. In some % fhe ID 001ri -.
ords ~ Louisiana are bills ~ sale - hm u
instances the price ran as high 49, $50 a pan
The breed spread all through fh- south. a.
though have never heard ~ The dogs beng
used as man hunters In the upper TER - South.
ern States. doubt thai one has over been At
upon the trail Of a negro IN virginia. Nofi
Carolina or Maryland.
As a matter o. course. the planters - ms
century were careful to protect their slaves 1
Far as possible from attacks by me animas \
This was generally easy. Tte runaway sA',
the plantation. II contained many str ans a.. Z
lagoons, which aided him IN throwing ne 80
~ the scent. II the worst came 20 the worst =
sould always climb tree. Law" no io.'
that the an lent aneCdOte OF The coon Nhch :
marked 10 the man with me gun Don't ~
mister: I'm going 20 come DOM" had % orFI
In some runaway HAND per-hed in a cyptgs
and gazing down at his irate master. out y
serving always the negroes sense r hun"r ~
deed this story is loved and ven,rafel In e't,
quarters" south ~ Mason and p.Non's me ~
is always good FOR a laugh. The planters -,
in this matter was dictated more hy policy va.
humanity. II did not pay 70 have Nl"' hss'
chewed up by $50 dog.
The bloodhound ~ now used only .n the pu's
Of criminals Every Southern pen.'eniary ~
a brace or more % them. They are not nv
quently part OF the SherinS ouihi- IN" w.
Is not always pure. but the dogs serve th'ir P1.,
pose better than fairly well. Their keenness
scent Is one II the most remarkable ihinss
nature. though IL ~ of value chlenN IN me u. X
,hinly settled regions X seems incr'iIhle 80
the mere temporary pressure ~ a mans Ooo' .
shoe upon the ground should leave tracea..,
scent for twenty four hours providing tn..
here has been no rain. but there Is no -.
hat IL does Sometimes In the South mGrdt'ui
breaks Jail. Until the universal introdu. tlon -
chilled steel cages this was not am 'ut ms.
ter. Dogs are telegraphed for AZ dsta
probably ~ 80 miles They arrive day A. ~,
the escape. They are led In leash 20 the pA,
= here the criminal is supposed % nave ma.
,is exit and uncouplei. They take mp me 50