Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-28

direction OF diminishing the chances
OF the hare. Most of the hare coursing
Is done on enclosed grounds, with
bagged hares. The introduction OF en-
closed grounds dates from about 1876.
According to the Badminton Library
Of Sports and Pastimes, many Of the
old school opposed 1t strongly, and
with the best reason, for II utterly
lacked the element of real sport" In
the great courslng matches, the hare
has absolutely no show whatever.
What more aggravated form of tor
ture is to be found" wrote the late
Lady Florence Dixie, than coursing
with greyhounds-the awful terror of
the hare depicting itself in the laid
back ears. convusive doubles, and
wild, staring eyes. which seem almost
to burst from their sockets In the ago
ny of tension which the piteous strug-
gle for life entalls?"
FLEETNEss AND SKILL.
But with the opportunity OF betting
on the fioetness and skill of the dogs,
1t IL a spectacle that attracts thous-
ands. The old-time coursng OF wolves,
boars and other savage animals had In
1t at least an element of hardlhOod and
courage. The modern courslng. under
conditions In which the mania for kill
Ing and betting are the chief incentives
of the sport. Is, according to Mr.. Lut-
trell, sheer cruelty and In It's grosser
form at any rate-that Is, N cases
where the animal Is a bagged one and
not In reality wlld-ought to be pro-
hibited by law.
But there are degrees OF cruelty as OF
all other Vices. In hare coursing there
Is at least a regard for the rules Of
the game. In rabbit coursing, prac-
tlscd chiefly among miners and work.
ing-men as a Sunday and half-hollday
amusement even these palliations are
wanting Rabbits, often half-starved
and sometimes with their legs broken
are huddled together In a sack, with
no riore consideration than II they were
so many bundles Of wood, aid brought
ON tc the course TO be chased by grey
hounds and other dogs, Often they
are dangled before the noses OF the
dogs TO give them scent. Seldom do
the dogs-mOngrels most of them-kill
outright, Sometimes the legs and ears
OF tn, rabbits are bitten, their skin torn
away and they are otherwise mangled.
Some lines, too, the starter or referee
viii Joke out an eye with finger, or
stick pin In II, so rs TO blind the ami
nal on one side and cause II to run to
the side OF the dog which the book
maker wishes to win. Worst OF all.
the same rabbit. after being injured.
will sometimes be coursed over and
over again. or even rescued from death
by the men IN order that after suffer-
ug days Of agony, he may be made to
furnish sport" on another occasion.
Sometimes the rabbits, da2ed By fright
aud tewildered by their strange sur
roundings, are kicked 10 make them
START II they cannot be stimulated
into activity this way, they are tossed
aside &c be mangled TO death by pup
pies that are being trained as cours-
ers.
A BRUTAL REPLY.
''1hey are only vermln and we can
do with them as we please" was the
reply given by one party Of rabbit
coursers TO a friend OF the writer who
protected against such brutality Ane
the statement as far as English law
is concerned, Is correct
1T IL no worse than hare-courslng,
or tame stag hunting" Is another COM
mon excuse. for Indulgence In rabbit
coursing. Any interference with Il by
measures which did not affect the more
fashionable and costly but almost
equally Objectionable sports" would,
OF course, provoke an outcry against
Dissatisfaction Hence the sweeping
character OF Mr.. Luttrers bill
THE "BAGGED FOX"
The hunting OF the dragged fox Is
open 10 the same objection as applies
10 the pursuit OF the carted stag. Rey-
nard, under such conditions, does not
get a fair chance, But It is the last
a..
from the foXs point Of view. He may
frequently then be seen dead-beat
with tongue hanging out and brush
dragged. struggling miserably across
his last field When his human and
canine foes sight him, with yels OF
triumph, they soon catch up with him.
No matter how plucky a run he may