Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-06
WHY NOT EMPLOY HOUNDS?
COMMISSIONER BIEGHAM'S PLAN
TO TRACK CRIMINALS.
Success Attends the Use of Dogs for
Chasing Malefactcrs in Europe.
Misapprehensions Cleared UP.

I'm view of the many assaults upon wom-
en- and children tn season. and the Iii IL
Guilty in identifying anC apprehendiny, the
a. saiants," said detective Sc! geant 1T
Is matter of surprise to me that the po-
lice of American municipalities are so far
behind their continental brethren in failing
to attach properly trained dogs to their re-
spective. forces
Commissioner BinSham's avowal that he
will thy the experiment with bloodhounds in
New York wi be watched with much in
te.est by the chiefs of l.Olce in other cites
in this country, and if the dogs prove "a
success in the metropolis it Will Be but a
short time before MS example will be fol-
lowed elsewh here.
Scarcely a week passes in which dogs
could not be used TO advantage in this
city, and had We pair of well-trained
hounds upon our poll e roster, working for
their board. the recent assault case in Ana
costa would have resulted differently.
I'm assault cases of this kind the victim
Is usually In such d highly nervous state
is beaten into tnsensibiity. that denti-
tication is most difficult where it is possible
to make an arrest. AID the latter in itself
Is one of the most difficult Jobs the pol ce
have to undertake because of the usual lack
of clues as to the guilty person.
I'm Europe, however, the tracking of
CRIMINALS ny uOSS HAS lOIS pdSSeu SA-
perimental stage, and may be said to be a
success from all StandDointS save those Of
the criminal, for the dogs are trained to
track their man, bring him to bay, but not
to attack him, and this they do with almost
human intelligence In this country the
popular impression seems to be that the
bloodhound is Zero .iOuS animal who tears
his prey pieces upon overtaking him.
when as a matter Of fact the very con-
trary Is true. A wel-trained hound never
attacks the man he rams to earth, and is in
himself the antithesis to the bulldog, which
is a ferocous animal and which never fails
to seize and hold the person he attacks.
Besides, the dogs are usually held on the
leash unless the run Is long one through
the country, and the dogs can be followed
on horses.
Again, much of the false impression in
this country as amusing as it really Is, re-
garding the ferocity of the bloodhound.
comes from the Uncle Tom dramas. which
do not use bloodhounds at all on the stage.
but employ huge. crop-eared dogs of the
mastif and German wofhound breeds.
which are enormous OF size and fierce of
mein. while the genuine article IN the hound
breed is comparatively small-framed dog
and not at all terrifying in appearance
with his crop-eared rival of the blood and
thunder drama; the audience in these
plays would not recognize the real trailing.
man-hunting hound, and IL the managers
put him on the boards he would be Kissed
off as not filling the bill
But in real life these long cared sad
1aceQ ana DlS-eyeo uoSS, usually oI seiitie
and inoffensive disposition. fill the bill 10
De rfection. and when their razor-edged scent
is employed to its best advantage they
usually get their man.
I'm fact, there Is too much sentimentality
in dealing with criminals in this country
and the failure to employ dogs to hunt them
down, as in Europe. is a manifestation of
it, None Is better aware OF this fact than
the would-be actual criminal himself.
and no better proof of it is needed than
the countless assaults upon women and
children which have characterized the past
season all over the country. II the police
departments in the larger and minor cities
had a couple of dog detective sergeants
upon their rolls these assaults would dimin-
ish in accordance with ratio OF the appre-
bending of the offenders. and some of the
dog detective sergeants would put to the
blush many of their uniformed companions
who draw the salaries.