Lunch & Learn: Detective Hurricane Branch

An early celebrity south of the James River, John J. S. “Hurricane” Branch was a constable, detective and bloodhound trainer who gained popularity at the turn of the 20th century.

Branch was known for his use of bloodhounds to aid in local criminal investigations and became a popular figure through numerous newspaper accounts of his work. A reporter gave him the nickname “Hurricane” due to his relentless pursuit of criminals. His popularity was such that he received interest from people all over the country. It would be a crime for you to miss this lecture!