Reader Luann commented on the “Deadly Duel” post to let us know about another historic murder in town. She writes:
Another illustrious story for consideration involves the shooting of my grandfather James William Hair by John Anderson at the pool hall in July of 1928. My grandfather was with the Secret Service so his shooting and all that followed was headline news.
Sgt. Leo, of the Morrison Police Dept., researched this one a few years back. Here’s the outline, but you can read his full story here (pdf), as reported in Morrison’s Hogback News, Sept 2018. The story was followed by area newspapers for months after the event.
Operative James Hair was engaged in an outdoor shooting match in downtown Morrison with James and Perry Knoll on July 12, 1928, when the men were approached by John Anderson, a bootlegger from Denver. Anderson was on parole at the time, on a charge of operating a still. He pulled a pistol and shot Hair in the chest, then disappeared into crowds emerging from local businesses. Anderson was captured and sentenced to life in prison. He was later granted a new trial and found guilty of manslaughter, with a one-year sentence. A later trial on the still charge added two years to his sentence. His wife Iris avoided being charged as an accomplice, and divorced him soon after.
Operative Hair was 34 at the time of his death, a University of Colorado graduate and World War I veteran who had joined the U.S. Secret Service two years earlier. He left a wife and two children.
Sgt. Leo was unable to pin down the location of a downtown shooting range, but it sounds as though it had to be near the town’s main intersection at Bear Creek Avenue and Stone St. The local businesses mentioned were Pike & Perry Mercantile (& dance hall) and Peinze’s Grocery Store, which occupied the two corners. Across the street was the large parking lot, formerly the railroad depot, used for various town activities. I’d guess any “outdoor shooting range” close to downtown would have to be in that area. Does anyone have better information? If so, please drop a comment below.
Morrison History 