Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 February 1915 — John Hannah, Famous Ball Player, Died in Champaign, III. [ARTICLE]

John Hannah, Famous Ball Player, Died in Champaign, III.

John Hannah, baseball catcher, who eaught several games here some eight years ago, is dead. It seems to us that Homer Dobbins and Harry Swartzell pitched to him. The Benton County Review speaks of him as follows: “Mr. Hannah has been a patient at a Champaign, 111., hospital the past seven weeks and his death was expected at any time. An operation was performed several weeks ago and it was found that he was suffering with cancers of the stqmach and there was no hopes of his recovery. Hannah was probably known by almost everyone in this and surrounding towns as a ball player, having been a member of the famous Fowler ball team of several years ago. He was one of the most popular ball players that ever wore a Fowler uniform and was liked by everyone who knew him. The old park here was often called Hannah Park, in honor of the famous Catcher. He has been a professional ball player the past dozen years and after leaving Fowler played with the different leagues n Illinois. Last year he was a member of the LaSalle team in the Illi-nois-Missouri league and played his last game at Kankakee in June. The game lasted 12 innings and at the finish of the game he fainted and was unconscious almost two hours. This was his last game and from that time on he gradually grew worse. He spent several weeks here last fall hoping that a rest would benefit him but he was afflicted with an incurable disease, •returning to him home at Champaign, -where he has been a patient in a hospital ever since. He leaves a wife, formerly Miss Inez White, and one daughter. The body will be brought here for burial.”