Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1888-10-06 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

OPINION OP AN ESPERT. AN EXTRAORDINARY LETTER. Professor J. Wortley Ale, principil of the The Central Nees says :—On Thursday last Royal Veterinary College, London. has the following letter, hearing the E.C. post mark, favoured a representative of the Central News and directed in red ink, eas delivered at this with his views upon the employment of bloodagency : hounds in the detection of murderers. Professor Axe stated that no doubt a leash of bloodhounds might be a useful police auxiliary, but its successful employment would depend upon the efficient training of the dogs, and the promptitude with which they were put upon the neck. All dogs had a iguana instinct for blood odours, but this instinct required development by training; and in the mum of the bloodhound it was necessary to make it an expert at the business. The dog muss, in the first place, be familiarised with the odour of blood. The Meth:Meeting element of the murder, so far as the dog was concerned, would, of course, be the blood carried in the clothes or upon the boots of the murderer. It was, in fact, a condition precedent of the hunt that some of the blood of the victim should be upon the person of the fugitive. In the country, where the ground end atmosphere might remain undisturbed for a longer period, this system of pursuit would work fairly well; but, said Professor Axe, when you come to deal with the streets of large towns, the ground surface of which must necessarily be impregnated with a number of odours. I apprehend that this fact would materially operate against your success in tracking the murderer with bloodhounds. The paverneats of our own city, for instance. may possibly be stained with the blood of carcases such as sheep in transit, as well, indeed, as with human blood, the result of natural deposit. This would tend to confuse the scent which you desired to follow up, unless it were very fresh and strong. Agaia, the air in large towns is ale ays shifting, or may have been shifted by the ordinary traffic of the street BO that the odour left by the fugitive would not be suffered to abide long without obliteration. Hence it comes to this, that if you resort to bloodhounds for the tracking of blood-stained fugitives your dogs must be perfectly trained, must be experts at the business, and the condition of the ground must be favourable to the retention of the odour forming the clue. In large towns the last condition presents a serious difficulty.  •' 25th Sept, " DrAR Hos-,,--1. keep or. bearing the police have caught me, but they won't fix me just yet. I hate laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right track. That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits. lam down on w—s, and I shan't quit ripping them tin I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal. How can they catch me now I love my work, and want to start again. You will soon hear of mt., with my funny little games. I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger-beer bottle over the last job to write with. but it went thick, and I can't use it. Red ink is fit enough, I hope, ha! ha! The next job I do I shall clip the lady's ears off, and send to the police officers, just fm folly, wouldn't you? Keep this letter back ti II do a bit more work, then give it out straight. My knife's so 'dee and sharp I want to get a chance. Good luok.—Yours truly,  "