The evening times., 1900-06-01
THE VIRGINIA MAN HUNT
Exciting Exhibition With Blood
hounds Near Suffolk.
Dogs Nearly Captured the Quarry
Unawnres-The Chnse Covered Six
Miles md Was Intensely Interest
ing Observation-Disclosures Chiefs Of
Police and Sherins in Attendance.

SUFFOLK. Va, June THE man hunt
with bloodhounds. announced TO take place
in Nansemond county yesterday. came near
resulting in a tragedy. Bloodhounds gen.
orally mean business, and those engaged in
the hunt yesterday declined TO regard the
affair as merely a friendly sporting event
or as a harmless illustration OF their keen
ness of scent. Two youths-Albert Wilson,
white. nineteen years OF age. and John
Ward. coiored. aged twenty-one-were
obliging enough to act as the quarry.
The hunt took place with official sane
tion, and was under the supervision of
Deputy Sheriff Norheet and Hurricane
Branch. a detective. There were three
dogs In the pack-two large Georgia
hounds. John and Tiger, weighing nearly
100 pounds each. and Lee, from the pack on
the State farm. weighing about 50 pounds
The idea IN the hunt was to test the in
stinct and training of the dogs. The men
were given long start. and It was under
stood that they were to continue running
until they heard the baying OF the hounds.
when they were to climb convenient trees
The latter part Of the programme came
near not being carried out.
Among officials invited to attend the
hunts were the Chiefs of Police of Norfolk.
Petersburg. Suffolk. Newport, and Ports
mouth and the Sheriffs OF Nansemond
Isle Of Wight. Southampton. and Green
vile counties, Virginia, and Gates county.
North Carolina. To enable spectators to
hear and see the dogs the quarry were in
structed to cross highways accessible to
Carriages.
The youths were given their start. and
when 1t was time for the dogs to follow
there was intense excitement. 4 hetero-
geneOus mass Of humanity was present
when the blOodhounds We're lOOsened from
their iron fetters. A wavering, snakelike
stream OF men and boys who were late
stretched northward toward the town of
Suffolk Everybody was out. II was the
first man hunt that had ever been seen
IN this section.
AS the fetters dropped from the big
dogs necks they at once darted swiftly
away on the trail. Their deep voices
echoed through forest and field. The man
hunt had begun. An instant later there
was a movement Of horsemen. footmen,
and carriages. At one part of the road
the quarry had taken a differenb course
from the one outlined. and Detective
Branch blew a whistle and tried TO recall
the hounds. thinking the scent had been
lost. The dogs would not obey and state
mentS from the youths pursued proved
later they were right.
1t was a crucial test for the dogs. The
ground was hot and dry and a stiff breeze
was blowing. Those pursued varied their
course by penetrating briars. brush. and
thick underground and then running for a
season through dry sand. the most trying
foil OF all
The roundup was six miles in an air line
from the starting place, but the pursued
claimed they covered over ten miles in
their circuitous journey. Irritated by long
running and maddened by the hot scent,
the dogs saved their breath and only
barked at intervals. The men had sat
down to rest in the shade and the dogs
were almost upon them before they knew
ii. They sought small oak saplings and
had just gotten clear of the earth when
the blOOdhoundS came up. painting and
charging yicously. After their masters
arrived and chained the dogs they refused
IT, be subdued. BiOOdhOunds usually notice
none but their quarry. but one Of the
dogs made a dash for a bystander and
had [, be checked. The men declined to
descend from their leafy perches till the
Nunds were well in the distance Wilson
s-ys he would not have fallen from the
little tree for $4,000. Detective Branch.
owner of the two largest dogs. said after
the hunt he would not take $1,000 for
the pair.
The hunt was q great success from a
sporting point OF view. 1t was followed by
prominent officials. professional men. busi-
ness men, coatiess men, ragged boys and
negroes-a perspiring, excited human ag-
gregation. Some persons considered It
dangerous and brutal. but most people
here regard 1t as sport and a trial Of
canine sagacity. Persons who went to see
the chase as skeptics returned convinced
OF the bloOdhOunds' wonderful instinct.