Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1910-04-28
BLOODHOUNDS TRIED OUT
South Dakota's $4,000 Blood
Fail To Make Good

10 OOOu
The long expected has at last hap
pened. South Dakota's $500 brace of
bloodhounds, upon which our taxpayers
were supposed to rely to keep all burg
lars, yeggs and other criminals beyond
the borders of this fair commonwealth,
have at last been given a trial, and
have proven to be the same as all other
reform" institutions-no good.
Last Thursday night three yeggs
attempted to rob the bank at Kaylor,
a small town in Trip county, but were
frustrated in the attempt by the cash
Ter, who heard the yeggs trying to
break into the building and opened fire
on them. The fight was short but
sharp, and one of the yeggs was so
badly wounded that he was captured,
va the other two made their escape.
Friday morning Fire Marshal Craft
arrived in Kaylor with South Dakota's
$500 brace of bloodhounds, and after
organizing a posse the dogs were
unleashed and placed on the scent, and
then things commenced to happen. The
dogs gave yelp, stuck their noses to
the ground, and started off with the
speed of an express train running
amuck, iwhile the posse trailed along in
the rear, doing their best to keep with
in sound of the hounds yelps. But
they found it impossible, and in a few
minutes the dogs were out of sight and
sound. Then all kinds of dire forebod-
ings teemed through the brain of the
gallant fire marshal as his little posse
tramped onward, vainly watching and
listening for sight or sound of the dogs.
What if some farmer caught the dogs
sucking eggs in his hen house or caught
them killing sheep and shot them?
What would the "dear taxpayer" say
if he lost that $500 worth of dog meat?
These were a few of the wild conjec-
lures that shot athwart his mental
vision, but his agony of mind was of
short duration. In few moments the
deep baying of the hounds again
became audible, and the gallant fire
marshal hurried his posse forward, con-
Hdent that the hounds were on a strong
scent-a and future events proved he
was right.
Entering a small thicket they gazed
through the trees and saw the hounds
leaping around haystack and baying
as vociferously as if they had discover
ed the shade of Eliza hot-footing it
across the ice. Mr.. Craft Immediately
adjourned as state fire marshal and
organized as a board of strategy, and
addressing his followers he said: "Men,
my faithful dogs have tracked the vii
lians down. Examine your arms, then
deploy in skirmish order and take
advantage of the cover as you ADVANCED
Inspired by the example of their leader,
the posse obeyed, and as they crept
near the haystack not a sign of life
could they see. Finally one of the men
volunteered to creep forward and
reconoiter. He slowly approached the
stack, and when within few feet of it
his comrades heard faint P-s-s-t, saw
him leap into the air, and then turn
and make Decline for the thicket. At
the same moment one of those $500
DloodhoundS let out a huge below.
leaped forward and after a short scuf-
file turned and trotted toward the
excited posse bearing in his mouth--a
skunk which had been trailed to the
haystack.
1t is reported that governor Vessey
has appointed another deputy who sole
duty is to battle the hounds with laven-
der water and musk in order that they
may stalk around the state capitol and
duly impress the taxpayers with the
dignity and power of the "reformers'
without offending their strils.
There are some taxpayers who have
the opinion that South Dakota needs
E<hose $500 bloodhounds about as much
alter their opinion.