Historical 37 



they seem to regard as an insult to their intelligence. He 

 may thus encounter a sort of passive resistance, and every 

 effort made to prevent him from obtaining clues to assist 

 him in following out the trail. Such was certainly not the 

 attitude of the Border soldiery in days gone by, who must 

 have carefully pieced together every shred of evidence 

 available, and worked the hounds in conjunction with 

 this. The confirmation of the hounds as to a certain line 

 of evidence would be the sign to proceed with increased 

 vigour in that direction. Owing to this childish prejudice 

 on the part of a certain portion of the police, (but not of all, 

 as I have met some very fine, open-minded fellows amongst 

 them), it would be better perhaps, from every point of 

 view, if a certain number of bloodhounds were apportioned 

 to the police of each county. They would in that case 

 be available by motor-car quite quickly, and being accredited 

 members of the force, would not be likely to be held in 

 light esteem. 



I give an account from the Press of a case, in which a 

 conviction was obtained by the use of bloodhounds at the 

 present day, in this country. I may add that the work 

 was carried out under very great difficulties, but was 

 nevertheless successful : 



" FIRST CONVICTION FROM BLOODHOUND 



EVIDENCE 



" At the Northamptonshire Assizes, the evidence of 

 Major Richardson's bloodhounds was accepted as con- 

 clusive. Shaw, one of Lord Lilford's gamekeepers, who 

 will be well remembered by visitors to the trials of the 

 English Setter Club each spring, was shot at by poachers 

 early in the morning of December 22nd. Bloodhounds 



