Individual Details

Daily Journal, Telluride, San Miguel County, Colorado, Tuesday, October 15, 1907, Page: 1: Robert Hannah Accidentally Killed. The first hunting accident of the season, in fact for many years in this southwest section, occurred Monday afternoon about ten miles up Junction Creek when Henry Ives mistook Robert Hannah for a coyote and fired a shot which proved fatal a few hours later.
Messrs. Ives and Hannah have been boon companions for a long time, both working side by side in Wesley Helm's barber shop. They have taken many trips together and for some weeks planned the hunting trip which resulted so disastrously. Saturday night they worked until midnight and two hours later started, in company with Mr. Hannah's son, Roy, for the Florida, arriving before day light at Sam Baisden's ranch. They hunted all day Sunday without any luck and very few signs of deer. They camped Sunday night on the Baisden place and Monday morning Roy received a message from Mr. Deuel regarding the death of his child and requested him to come to town at once. This made it necessary for the hunters to bring him in and en route Mr. Hannah suggested that they go up Junction creek where he had hunted on a prior occasion. They agreed to this and after landing Roy in town they started up Junction creek, putting up at Emery's cabin feeding the team and putting them in the corral. After eating dinner they crossed the river and ascended the steep hillside and after gaining the summit Mr. Hannah suggested that he cross over a hog back and go down one side three-quarters of a miles while Mr. Ives traverse the opposite side, the two thus covering quite a scope of country with a good show of discovering deer on one side or the other. Mr. Hannah crossed over and Mr. Ives started down his side. The latter had gone about two blocks when he heard a noise in the oak and quaken asp brush. He believed Mr. Hannah to be on the opposite side of the hog back and looking closely he saw something move for an instant and then stop. He was positive it was a coyote, the hunting pants worn by Mr. Hannah being the same color. He fired. And great was his horror to have Hannah call out: "Henry don't shoot any more, you hit me. Ives then rushed to where Hannah lay not more than 25 to 30 yards away, saying, "Why did you cross back" and Hannah replied, "I do not know." Mr. Ives at once took strong buckskin strings and bound the leg to prevent bleeding to death, the ball having entered the forepart of the leg about five inches below the thigh, passing clear through and breaking the bone, thus making the poor man helpless. Mr. Ives made him as comfortable as possible, and agreeing on signs and leaving the dog as company started for the cabin where he hitched and made Durango as fast as he could drive. Securing a physician and an ambulance he started back--Roy Hannah and Johnny Root went horse back and by description given them and meeting the dog, who took them right to the spot, arrived some little time in advance of the ambulance. They found Mr. Hannah chilly and suffering and while perfectly rational he believed his time was short and he so stated and that it was probably better as at his age amputation and possible complications would cause death sooner or later. It was three quarters of a mile to the road and journey was hard and tiresome with Mr. Hannah on a stretcher. It was evident on the way he would not survive and about the time the cabin was reached he breathed his last.
In the meantime Mrs. Hannah and the girls had been notified of the accident but they felt it was not serious and anxiously awaited his return. Mr. Root proceeded the party home and the news was broken to the family and it was a pitiable scene--mother and daughters wrapped in each other's embrace and bemoaning their fate. It was after 11 o'clock when the ambulance arrived and the body was conveyed to the house. There were many friends present to aid and render comfort but there was no keeping back the grief that manifested itself as the husband and father was carried into the house, and it was indeed a house of sorrow the rest of the night and again today, although there is nothing that friends can do that is not being done.
And then to think of the suffering of Henry Ives. The shock is one that will remain with him as long as he lives. There was grief of mothers, sisters and brother, but none more heartfelt than that of poor Henry who would have given his own life blood to have saved his friend. All know it was purely accidental and as such there is great sympathy for Mr. Ives.
Deceased was in the 54th year, enjoying twenty-eight years of wedlock and with two grown up daughters, a third 10 years. and Roy, aged 19, he was surrounded by as happy a family as one often runs across. In 1882 Mr. Hannah sought fortune in the west locating at Silverton where he engaged in the barber business, establishing a shop which enjoyed an excellent run. Failing health caused him to sell out and he located with his family in the Animus valley where he ranched for several years. Recuperating his health and feeling like a new man he again entered the barber business, having been with Wesley Helm since leaving the ranch. All who met "Bob" liked him. He was a general favorite. He always had a good word for his fellow men. No one ever accused him of a dishonest trick. He knew only they right and he will be interred in Greenmount cemetery * without an enemy. He loved his wife and daughters. And for Verl there was no one in this world but "papa."

* Actually buried at Lakeside Cemetery, Canon City, Fremont Co., Colorado.

Birth	5 Feb 1853	Johnstown, Cambria Co., Pennsylvania
Residence	1860	Black Hawk, Jefferson Co., Iowa
Residence	1870	Black Hawk, Jefferson Co., Iowa
Marriage	4 Oct 1879	Simpson Church, Mahaska Co., Iowa - Frances Ellen Hinson
Residence	1880	Fairfield, Jefferson Co., Iowa
Residence	1900	Hermosa, La Plata Co., Colorado
Death	11 Oct 1907	Durango, La Plata Co., Colorado
Burial		Woodmen of the World Section, Lakeside Cemetery, Canon City, Fremont Co., Colorado

Spouse	Frances Ellen Hinson (1858 - 1929)
Child	Maud Alma Hannah (1881 - 1969)
Child	Roy Jay Hannah (1883 - 1948)
Child	Mary Verle Hannah (1886 - 1930)
Child	Edna Hannah (1896 - 1948)

Father	Thomas Hannah (1809 - 1864)
Mother	Mary Ann Lemmon (1812 - 1903)
Sibling	Elias Baker Hannah (1856 - 1933)