Our friend, “Lone Star” Hans, is dead. Died, not as he would have wished no doubt, by an accident in the World-Herald building. Perhaps two years before he tried to be a farmer in DeSoto, someone told him that I was collecting Indian relics with E. E. Blackman and Dr. R. F. Gilder, and he came from Omaha to bring me a copy of the large bound volume of his Indian history and later as our friendship increased, he gave me ten copies to give my friends. He was not cut out for a farmer and strange tales were told of him but the worst we knew of him was his tendency to boast of past deeds, something we too, often do, as it is not always considered a serious crime. From him we learned why so many flint arrowheads and stone equipment’s were scattered over our hills, and why when they destroyed everything they could at the old fort and failed to carry things away that would have been of good use to them. It seemed that any implement that failed them in an emergency became bad medicine and discarded, and things belonging to white men that hey had not got in a legitimate way was white man’s bad medicine, and the quicker it was disposed of the better. We found him congenial, always ready to answer our questions and a good companion and we were sorry to learn of his untimely death.

#2-Published in the Fort Calhoun Chronicle November 27, 1930

Fred M. “Lone Star” Hans Sr.

Death Date: April 17, 1923

Otto Frahm showed the Chronicle the November issue of Harding’s Magazine, a nationals sportsmans’ publication, containing a thrilling story of Fred M. Hans, who a few years ago lived around Fort Calhoun, and well-remembered here by older residents for a style of living peculiar to himself.

According to this story written by Harry Van Demark, on “Lone Star,” as he was called by the Sioux Indians, was delegated by General Crook to capture a desperado known and “Shacknasty Jim”, whose headquarters were in the famous Hole in the Wall County in Wyoming. Disdaining the General’s proffer of men to help the capture “Lone Star” set out alone from Fort Mead and in three days reached the “Hole,” a gateway barely large enough to admit a horseman, but which led to a large valley surrounded on all sides by inaccessible cliffs.

“Lone Star” passed through the gateway unchallenged, but was soon spotted by Shacknasty himself and another man. In answer to their query as to who he was, “Lone Star” began shooting at them and in the exchange of shots both desperadoes were wounded. He handcuffed the two to a tree outside the entrance, and then returned for the rest of the gang. A few miles inside the valley he was approached by three men, and in the pistol battle which followed “Lone Star” killed one Jack Hawkins, and the other two surrendered. Handcuffed the two outlaws, “Lone Star” marched them out to join the pair outside. Shacknasty had died of his wounds, so “Lone Star” handcuffed the three survivors togethers and as their horses had been killed in the battle he made them walk the 150 miles to Fort Meade.

The article quotes General Phil Sheridan as saying that “for daring, faithfulness, endurance, and good judgement, Fred Hans is the superior of any scout and guide I have ever known.” Hans died in Omaha a year of so ago.

From Find a Grave : Hans had always expressed the desire to die "with his boots on," that is, to fall in battle. Such a spectacular fate was not in store for him, for tho he did literally die with his boots on, the end came in a commonplace manner. He was fatally crushed in an elevator which he was operating in the "Omaha World Herald Building" in the newspaper plant. A dispatch to the New York World, in recounting the deeds of this veteran scout, says that "in the early days, out in the lone stretches of the prairie and mountain country," he was "fearless and rugged. a two-gun man quicker on the draw than the flash of an eyelid."

#3 Printed in the Jun 6, 2023 Pilot-Tribune

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Fred Hans, 1861-1923, originally of Waverly, Iowa, moved to Washington County and settled close to the village of Fontanelle. At age 15, Hans became a scout for the U.S. Army as he searched for his missing 2-year-old brother, who was kidnapped by a neighbor.

Editor's note: Information on Fred M. Hans was provided by the Washington County Museum and Dick Kruse.

Fred M. Hans was born in 1861 in Waverly, Iowa, before he and his family relocated to Fontanelle in Washington County.

Much of Hans' story begins when he was 15, when at the time, his 2-year-old brother was kidnapped by a neighbor, Miles Randall, as an act of revenge against Hans' father, who testified against Randall's son, Willard, in a murder trial.

Hans, who suspected his brother had been given to a local Native American tribe, set off on a search to find his brother, after much convincing from his parents.

During that time, after searching through local tribes, Hans became close with a Sioux village out west, eventually becoming a scout for the U.S. Army at 15 due to his skills with his Colt revolver. He would remain in the scout position until November 1879.

During his scouting career, he would take on assignments from the government and various Native American tribes, searching for deserters from reservations.

Hans was given the nickname "Lone Star" because he preferred working solo.

Hans married Blair native Nancy Elvira Davis in 1884, later building a three-bedroom house near Fort Robinson.

Hans continued to scout, and also worked with the Crawford sheriff, served as a U.S. Marshal deputy and worked as a special agent for Fremont, Elkhorn, Missouri Valley, Sioux City and Pacific railroad.

It would be 17 years before he would reunite with his brother in Rapid City, S.D., while he was working on the railroad. At a hotel, he spotted a young man reading a paper, and said, "You're my brother!" He proved the 19-year-old kid, who was named Johnnie Hart, that he was his brother by asking if he had a scar on his jaw, which Hart did.

Hart was taken to a family in Cheyenne, Wy., a friend of a friend of his kidnapper's. Johnnie would not reconnect with his family, however.

Hans published his book, "The Great Sioux Nation," in 1907.

Hans worked as a railroad detective for many years before retiring and settling in Omaha. He died at age 63 following an elevator accident while serving as a watchman at the Omaha World-Herald.

~~~Obituaries courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. News paper clippings on file at the Blair Public Library.~~~

Find a Grave Memorial #32697136