Although familiar with virtually all sport activities, he was an acknowledged expert on American football, baseball and billiards, while working for several New York City newspapers.
[2] Born in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, he was the sixth child of Thomas King Hanna, a dry goods store owner, and Judith Joyce Venable, a housewife.
[1][2] In 1878 Hanna was graduated from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, and immediately started to work at The Kansas City Star.
[2] His spare writing style was marked by a specific use of language means, as well as his selection of words were those less chosen, terse, precise, kind, and greatly influenced by the lexical environment.
He was confined to West Point Hospital for three weeks and then, at his request, was transferred to Idylease sanitarium, at his wishes to be near to the home of his brother, Thomas K. Hanna.