Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1907-10-17
DOGS TO AID POLICE
SECRET TESTS BEING MADE BY
NEW YORK OFFICIALS.
European System May Be Adopted
Animals VIII Be Used in Trail
ing Criminals Through Crowd
ed Streets.

ed streets.
New k-Bloodhounds are to be
introduced in New York City to run
down criminals.
Experiments have been made by Of
hcers connected with the department
here in various upstate villages and
cities. They have been so successful
that, under orders from Commissioner
Bingham, a large number of trained
dogs will be brought to this city and
Installed in the station houses, to be
rushed out to scenes of crime and put
on the scents
The suggestion that these man hunt
ers would greatly strengthen the po-
lice department came from Fourth
Deputy Commissioner of Police Arthur
Woods, who for the last year has been
studying the police conditions in the
continental cities of Europe.
Mr.. Woods told his chief that the
dogs had proved most effective in trac-
ing criminals, especially in the outly-
ing districts Of Paris, but that dog
with an especially good nose could
follow the tracks Of a man through
out the crowded streets of city, if
conditions of weather permitted, when
he footsteps were hours old.
The recent crimes against women
md children, when so many assaults
and murders were committed. decided
Commissioner Bingham TO experiment
with the hounds 1t has been found
that a well-trained dog could follow
4 man in the open or country dis
riots many hours after the man had
passed, but an experiment was made
n a thickly populated city, in which
a hunted man crossed and recrossed
his own tracks through streets hun
lreds of persons were walking con-
stantly.
-Four hours later the dog was I'M
leashcd The dog was young, but well
trained He took the scent quickly
md followed the man to his hiding
place in cellar of cabin.
II cannot tell what city this expert
nent was tried in" said Mr. Woods,
for we want the trials of the dogs to
continue in secret for the present We
10 not want our experiments ham
lered in any way | will say, however,
hat up TO this time the experiments
have been more successful than we
believed possible"
The plan of Commissioner Bingham
S To have at least 100 dogs in New
York police department In station
houses IN the criminal districts two
logs will be kept constantly, and in
he other houses one dog will be suf-
dcient
Dogs will be kept in every borough
ready for action the moment a crime
las been reported when the criminal
las escaped. In the outlying districts
kept in cases where the criminal
axes a vehicle to cover his tracks
Or where there is a path of water,
which viii wipe out the traces, it is
believed that the dogs can hunt down
a man in short time
In the densely populated city, where
street cars and trains afford oppor-
tInities for a man TO cover his tracks
rom the dogs, the dogs will be used
N Identifying suspects. For instance.
4 suspect will be lined up with many
other men, just as is the case now
when an Identification is to be at
empted The dog will be made to
smell a garment or some article touch
ID by the suspect, and his training will
be such that he will make straight for
he guilty man.
Great care will be employed i'm
oaching the dogs In the south, where
olooJhounds are frequently used in
rackng criminals, many of the dogs
ire ferocious when they come upon
their man. and in most instances
The fugitive is compelled to climb a
tree or seek some other refuge to keep
from being torn to pieces.
The best trained dogs. however. will
not attack the man the are tracking.
They will simply keep at his heels.
lttering fierce growls and deep banks
and howls until he is joined by men
n pursuit
Commissioner Bingham is expected
o begin buying hounds at once, and
hen after thorough training they will
be assigned to the station houses.
Except when the dogs are tracking
1 criminal or are being exercised they
viii be kept in leash. Trainers will
be selected from among the men in
he department whose duties will be
70 sec that every dog is in perfect CON
lition.