PC Wilson’s Bloodhounds

The earliest records of dogs being used for policing date back to the 15th century, when an Airedale Terrier or a Bloodhound was a companion and means of protection to the parish constable.

It was only at the start of the 20th century however that West Sussex Police took full advantage of the assistance that dogs could provide in criminal detection.

In 1912, following a series of fires on farms at night across West Sussex and Hampshire, PC Wilson was telegrammed to be ready with his Bloodhounds to be called out at short notice. On the night of the 16th of November 1912 in the village of Westbourne, a haystack was set on fire. PC Wilson arrived at the scene and his two Bloodhounds immediately took up the trail, running through open country by a circuitous route right up to a gap in a hedge six yards from the backdoor of a house. The police knocked on the door but the occupant, a transient farm labourer, refused to come out until he was told that entry would be forced. PC Wilson kept his hounds on a leash 50 yards away and out of sight of the house as the police put the occupant in a line up with four other men along the road. PC Wilson was then sent for and the hounds immediately picked up the trail and sniffed out the occupant of the house in the line of suspects. This man it was noted was covered in mud up to his shoulders.

In March 1913 PC Wilson testified in court to having trained the Bloodhounds since they were puppies. “They can follow a trail although it has been purposely fouled by being crossed by other men. I am quite satisfied that in the present case they ran the right man to earth.” It was also proved that the man identified by the dogs had left a pub twenty minutes before discovery of the fire. He had also reached his home just after the fire was discovered. However the judge in the case ruled on a point of law that although the suspect was close to the haystack before the fire there was no proof he had started it, and the man blamed an anonymous other for the crime. He was found not guilty.

At Horsham on the 20th of August 1915, a prisoner with five previous convictions for assaulting the police was sentenced to three months imprisonment for a similar offence. The officer responsible for his custody had not taken the precaution to handcuff his prisoner. As they left the court the prisoner made his escape, successfully outrunning the officer who was supposed to be escorting him. The policeman then telephoned for PC Wilson and his bloodhounds. They arrived by car with four other officers. Information was obtained from some boys who had been gathering blackberries, and who were able to point out the exact place where the prisoner had gone through a hedge and made off across the fields. PC Wilson put the bloodhounds Belle and Bramble onto the trail and the hounds kept the officers and the boys who had also joined in the hunt running for all they were worth. The trail led over several fields and down a carriage drive to Sedgwick big wood. From there it continued right through the woodland, down a path near Nuthurst and across country again to Henfield. When the prisoner was finally captured he said he would not “bolt” again and asked not to be handcuffed. Every precaution was taken however when transporting him to Lewes Prison.

Judy Upton