The evening times., 1899-08-01
TRAINING BLooDHoUNDs.
How They Are Taught to Follow q
Human Trail.
(From the Chicago Record. }

(trom the Chicago Record.)
For fifty years bloodhounds have been
trained in the South for man n-hunters. Be
fore the war nearly all of the larger plan
tations had bloodhcunds trained to pur-
sue runaway slaves In some cases plan
tation owners would club together and pur-
chase pack. Many white men in the
South made it business to train dogs es-
pecially for this purpose, and accompanied
them when they were needed for a
chase" Since the war the value of the
hound is so well known in following es
capped criminals that today half breeds are
almost as numerous as the others were
thirty years ago. although many were kill
ed by Union soldiers and negroes during
the war.
Dog fanciers say that probably not TWEEN
ty-five pure blooded dogs of this breed can
be found in the United States at present
The first of their kind came from the
north of England, near the Scotch bounda-
ry line. According TO old English records
they were not used for sporting purposes,
but kept about the house as pets in the
families of the nobility. because of their
courage and docility. The real blood
hound is anything but a savage and vicious
brute in his ordinary condition. When
aroused, however. he will attack man or
beast with a ferocity which is equaled by
no ether breed. He never gives up as
long as life lasts and IL is either death
TO himself or the object of his attack. The
savage side of the dog is aroused by re-
sistance, and he will seldom bite anyone
who does not offer it, unless influenced by
the scent OF blood. The negroes in the
slave days were well aware of the trait
and frequently, when run down. darky
would throw himself full length on the
ground and remain motionless The dogs
would come up and, standing around,
would bay until the pursuing party reach
/ ed the fugitive. Many runaway, how
ever, met his death in endeavoring TO
strangle the dogs or beat them off with a
! club.
| The hounds of the pure species have an
unusually long and narrow forehead. with
! eyes very large and soft. the color of a
| dark tan or fawn. They are slightly small
! er than the liver pointer" standing about
| two feet above the ground Their legs are
| short. but powerful, and they are not swift
running dogs. but their scent is wonderful
The manner of breaking them is to select
stretch of country about a mile long
| with one or two small thickets on the
course" \ negro boy puts on a pair OF
| brogans, the soles of which have been rub
bed with blood from a chicken. He is given
| a start Of twenty minutes. At the end oi
| this time the animal is loosed. The trainer
| puts his nose TO the spot where the negro
| started, and he is on the scent in a sec
ond, going at full speed across the coun-
try. In the thicket he may be puzzled
| but in a few moments he strikes the trail
| again, and, baying. indicates that he has
! found the fugitive. The scent is best early
in the morning. before the sun had dried
the dew on the ground. as the moisture
| seems to hold the odor better.
| After few trials the dog follows the
negro simply by the odor of his feet. Ther
| course is laid out which is more diff.
| cult. Several streams of water are cross
| ed, and start is taken during hot day
four or five hours after the supposed fugi
| tive has gone over the ground. From on,
mile the course is heightened to FIVE TIL,
dog may take a half day to complete il
as when he reaches waterway he has I,
run up and down each bank until he find
where the negro entered the water ant
| emerged. But his wonderful nose, con
| stantly moving over the ground, usual,
proves an unerring guide, and seldom is b
thrown off" more than half an hour. 4
| few months of this coursing and the blood
hound is ready to act as a detective-on
| which cannot be bribed.
A mixture of the setter, pointer or som
other breed of hunting dog with the blood
hound type answers for man hunting abou
as well as the pure breed. and the dog
thus obtained are much cheaper Many ar
| owned by country officers and carefull
| guarded as criminals do not hesitate L
poison them whenever possible When
crime has been committed the nearest dog
are sent for. The animals beat around tn
premises where the crime has been com
mitted, like pointer hunting for par
| fridge.
Some four or five hours may elapse be
fore the dogs take the trail. They wor
around in a constantly widening circle un
til they find it. Then they are like a pac
after fox, and the pursuers must viii
up their horses to keep track of them If th
trail is fresh. The outlaws in the South
ern States are we'll aware of the keen
ness of the pursuers. and try every wa,
to throw them off. They swim creeks g
through marshes run ON stones as much
possible for the hardness OF the surfac
causes it to retain but a very slight odo
unless wet
| Dogs used for man hunting for terms o
| wears are not easily thrown on the trai
| at the banks of a stream. They jump il
and swim over, running up and down tn
opposite side until they have found tn
spot where the fugitive has come out Of tn
water. When four or five dogs are in pur
suit and the scent is lost. each takes up
certain area and covers it thoroughly un
til the odor Is again detected. When tn
pack start away together. They can follol