Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-05
MAN-HUNTING HOUNDS
NOT MANY OF PURE STRAIN LEFT
IN SOUTH.
How They Are Trained to Follow the
Trail Of Their Quarry-Used
Now for Criminals.

From the New York Commercial Advertiser.
The use OF what are called bloodhounds
In the southern part OF the United States
for catching criminals is a common prac-
tce- For over fifty years dogs have been
trained In the south for this purpose. Re-
fore the civil war nearly all of the larger
plantations had one or more pure blood
hounds. trained to pursue runaway slaves.
In some cases the plantation owners would
club together and purchase q pack, each
having the use of 1t when needed to
catch the fleeing negro. In those days
some white men in the south made 1t a
business to train dogs especially for the
purpose and accompanied them when they
were needed for a chase" as 1t was
termed. Very few were ever used for bird
or animal hunting. as 1t affected their
scent Tor men. The planters fond OF
hunting kept other breeds of dogs almost
entirely for sport. Since the war the value
or the hound Is so well known in follow
Ing escaped criminals that today the half
breeds are almost as numerous as the 9TH
ers were thirty years ago. although many
were killed by the union soldiers and the
negroes themselves during the war.
Few Have Pure Blood.
Dog fanc1ers say that there are probably
breed in the United States at present The
first of the kind came from the north of
England near the Scotch boundary line
When not in service they are often kept
about the house, more as pets. probably
because of their courage and docility, for
the real bloodhound is anything but the
savage and vicious brute depleted by ar
lists and described by novelists In his or
binary condition. When not aroused he Is
as gentle and as tractable as a lap dog.
Let him be provoked. however, and he will
attack man or beast with ferocity which
Is eQualed by no other breed Of CANNES
He never gives up as long as life lasts and
1t Is death to either himself or the object
OF his attack. The savage side of the dog
Is aroused by resistance and he will sell
dom bite anyone who does not offer it I'M
less Influenced by the scene of blood This
trait Is proved by numerous illustrations
where the animal has been used in the
southern states.
Breaking in the Hounds.
The hounds of the pure species have an
unusually long and narrow forehead, with
eyes very large and soft, while in color
they are dark. tan or fawn. They stand
about two feet above the ground. Their
legs are short but powerful. and they are
not swift running dogs, although they have
as much endurance any of the hunting
breed Their scent, however Is wonderful
and probably surpasses that Of any other
variety This Is shown after they are
broken in" to hunt criminals The man.
ner of breaking them in the southern
states Is to select stretch OF country
about mile long with one or two small
thiekets on the course" as 1t is termed.
The ground may be a pasture or perhaps
an old cotton field where the earth is loose.
A negro boy who Is good runner Is hired
or induced in some other way to take the
part OF the runaway. He puts on a pair OF
shoes or "brOgans," the soles of which are
rubbed with blood from some animal or
chicken, and Is given start of about
twenty minutes. This will enable him east
ly to cover the course. at the end Of which
Is tree or some other refuge into which
he can climb and thus avoid any possibility
of being injured by the dog. When the an
imal Is loosed the trainer puts his nose to
the spot where the runner started and as
a rule he Is ION the scent in second.
going at full speed across the stretch of
country. In the thicket he may be puzzled
few moments. but generally he strikes
the trail again and in a few moments is
bayfng, which indicates that he has found
the place where the fugitive Is located. The
scent Is best early in the morning before
the sun has dried the dew on the ground,
as the moisture seems to hold the odor.
Their Instinct Mystery.
Even to this day the odor by which the
dog follows a man Is a subject of discus
sion among the veteran trainers. Some ar
que that It comes from the soles of the
feet and some say 1t is the natural odor of
the body. Others claim. however. that the
leather Is especially adhesive and attempt
to prove this theory by showing that where
fugitive has taken OF his shoes the dogs
have frequently been delayed considerably
In tracing. AS under such conditions the
man Is liable to bruise his feet and as his
blood offers the best scent. It is merely
choosing the worse OF two evils In most
instances to follow this plan.
Occasionally hounds are used to trace
criminals In the western states. but the
practice is confined almost exclusively to
the south. Efforts have been made to train
ordinary breeds of dogs such as settlers.
for this purpose. but. as far as known. the
plan has been a failure While a mixed
breed Of dog can be used satisfactorily for
criminal hunting, a strain of the blood
hound seems to be absolutely necessary 10
give the requisite accuracy of scent and the
courage necessary to follow such criminals
as the shertffs and constables in the south
or rtQf aa hau tn