The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-12
COY. CUNNINGHAM
 SPEAKS PLAINLY
cHARAcTERIZEs STORY ABOUT BALL PLAYER CHASING CON- VIcTs WITH BLOODHOUND AS LIE OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH.

Montgomery. March 11.-(special.)- While there is a lot of good time and considerable fun in the dope that some of the newspaper men of the New Ameri- can League team party now here are sending out, there is such a thing as put ting 1t too strong, and the man who has sent story to the effect that there is to be chase of convicts for the enter tainment of the visitors, will come in for the censure of the Governor and mem bers of thee state convict department
 The story is printed in the Cincinnati Enquirer of Friday, and is about as far from truth as anything could possibly get. The writer evidently did not intend i. to be seriously taken but he forgets ttat the average reader does not under stand that most of the baseball stuff is written to entertain and not to instruct.
 Acting Governor R. NJ Cunningham, who arrived in Birmingham last night, stated most emphatically that an article appearing in the Cincinnati Enquirer of last Friday about baseball players ehas- ing negro life convicts with bloodhounds
 
 ton. The article in question is as follows : Montgomery, Ala, March 9.-Two des~ perate convicts, serving life sentences. Will be turned loose here within few days and hunted down with dogs, across country as a demonstration to the visit ing New York American League baseball team of how criminals are captured in this state. Manager Griffith and the full team win join in the cross-country man hunt
 Both men are negEoes. They Will be given a fair start before the specially trained bloodhounds are placed on their trail and before the orders are given for the hundred or more athletes including the baseball men, to start It is said that arrangements have been made to have certain points guarded by deputies so that the men cannot possibly escape.
 These deputies, however will not inter- fere with the man hunt unless the pursu- ing party with the dogs gets so far behind that 1t has no chance of catching up. In fact, they merely will stop the convicts in the last emergency. The deputies will be mounted and heavily armed. All are crack shots, but as the convicts will be without weapons, probably will not have to use their rifles. The dogs to be used are from "convict farms near Birmingham. and are bloodhounds trained to follow the scent of man. To add to the interest three separate packs will be used of vary ing ages. The youngest dogs will be turned loose first. Then will be set on the mems trail a pack of older animals. The oldest and strongest hounds( also the most experienced will be turned loose last.
 Behind the three packs will be the run ners Many of those who have signified their intention of entering the man chase are members of Montgomery's best clubs. The local baseball team will try it's hest to beat Griffth's men to the death" or final capture of the two men.
 Last night Governor Cunningham said .
 'The whole story Is lie and out of the whole cloth. I have never heard of such thing, and such thing could cer- tainly not go on unless knew something about It.
 Such thing could not happen In this state. It would be impossible I cannot imagine where such a story originated
 Other state officials have been Inter- viewed on the subject and they have de- nied the story as emphatically as the gov ernor.
 his stamp agree with the stub in memo randa of gauging at the Kohn Rectifying