The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-08-28
BLOODHOUNDS OF SLAVERY
DAYS

DAYS.
1t was recently reported that Cover
nor Tyler. of Virginia, was entertained
on visit to convict camp by man
hunt with bloodhounds the man being
given an hours start and plenty of
time to climb a tree. Such exhibitions
are quite common on the South Carroll
ma state farms, where bloodhounds are
kept. The same kind of animals are
kept by the sheriffS of many counties IN
this state, and they always do well on
such show occasions but have never
been known to run down a criminal
Il very much doubt" said an old
slave-owner, whether there Is genu-
inc bloodhound In the south, or one
with the nose Of the old runaway
slave ca tcher in the country. Any
breed of dogs that run by scent can be
trained from puppies to run man and
man alone Ordinarily deer or fox
hounds take to this quite naturally,
and, If crossed with half or quarter
fox-terrier. they become vicious and
persistent In the chase. But these are
not blood hounds, nor should those now
owned by the state or counties in South
Carolina be so classed
1.-THE bloodhound in his perfection of
nose and his ferocity was the product
of the institution of slavery. The finest
strains came from Cuba-large, power
full beasts, tawny or black, with white
points and SO fierce that when not IN
service they were chained and only
their master could feed or touch them.
If they escaped, they chased the first
person they saw, and their desire was
to eat his flesh.
Many of the dogs were imported 10
the south by the men who made their
living catching runaway slaves They
were crossed on the deerhound. and the
product was a good man-hunter; fierce
enough but not so dangerous as the
Cuban. Several packs of such dogs
were owned in this state. and their
presence in a county kept many slave
at home who would have otherwise
sought the shelter of the forest, where,
unless followed by such hounds, he
could live for years, paying weekly or
monthly visits to the negro settlements.
1.-THE alleged bloodhounds of this day
cannot run man if the trail is over
three hours old, if it goes in water or is
crossed by other trails. The slave
catchers' hounds, bred for their cold
nose for more than a century, could
carry a trail thirty-six hours old.
The common definition that used to be
given for the name of this species OF
dog was that, if a drop of blood fell on
the track, he would never leave It,
They were like wolves in that they
hunted for meat, and were eager to de-
YOUR a man run to tree or cornered
1T was, of course, important and ne
cessary that the owner of such pack
of dogs should be responsible and vigil
liant. He had to be fine horseman
and ride horses that could go almost
anywhere, for he must be up to the
leading dog when the slave was
brought to bay. If the fugitive was too
hard pressed to climb tree, or, AS they
sometimes did, attempted to shoot the
dogs, he would be tornto pieces If the
master was not promptly on hand.
with the passing of slavery, the ne
:essty for cold-nosed man-chasers no
longer exists and the breed, in this
part of the country, is no longer pre-
served columbia (S. O. Correspond
ence Of the Philadelphia Press.