In late September and early October, 1888, with the police seemingly unable to alight upon any clue that might lead them to solving the mystery of the Whitechapel murders, suggestions began to appear in the press that bloodhounds might be used in tracking the perpetrator of the crimes.
Sir Charles Warren, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, did agree to arrange for trials to take place that could test the ability of bloodhounds, and he was sufficiently impressed by the results to order that they should be used in the event of further atrocities.
In consequence of Warren’s interest in the dogs being used, the newspapers began pondering whether they would be successful in tracking a murderer in such a densely populated district as Whitechapel.
A representative of the Central News, even went so far as to seek the opinion of an expert, Professor J. Wortley Axe, who, according to The Times, had been admitted to the “members of the body corporate” of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1866.
The London Evening News published his opinion on the matter in its edition of Wednesday the 3rd of October, 1888:-
THE WHITECHAPEL HORRORS
WHAT A BLOODHOUND EXPERT SAYS
Professor J. Wortley Axe, principal of the Royal Veterinary College, London, has favoured a representative of the Central News with his views views upon the employment of bloodhounds 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 very much depend upon the efficient training of the dogs, and the promptitude with which they were put upon the track.
All dogs have a natural instinct for blood odours, but this instinct requires development by training, and in the case of the bloodhound it is necessary to make it an expert at the business.
HOW TO USE THE DOGS
The dog must in the first place be familiarised with the odour of blood.
The incriminating element of the murder, so far as the dog is concerned, would, of course, be the blood carried in the clothes or upon the boots of the murderer.
It is, in fact, a condition precedent of the hunt that some of the blood of the victim should be upon the person of the fugitive.
THE COUNTRY VERSUS THE TOWN
In the country where the ground and atmosphere may 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 the bloodhounds.
PROBLEMS OF THE PAVEMENTS
The pavements 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.
Again, the air in large towns is always shifting, or way have been shifted by the ordinary traffic of the streets, so that the odours left by the fugitive would not be suffered to abide long without obliteration.
THE DOGS MUST BE WELL TRAINED
Hence, it comes to this, that if you resort to bloodhounds for the tracking of bloodstained fugitives, your dogs must be perfectly trained, must be experts at the business, and next, the condition of the ground mut be favourable to the retention of the odour forming the clue.
In large towns the latter presents a serious difficulty.