THE MURDER OF CLARA JANE HANNAFORD

As told in the Western Morning News Plymouth

18th Nov 1908

 

A Sensation was caused in the neighbourhood of Queen St Plymouth last night, about twenty minutes to eleven, when it was rumoured that an attempt had been made to murder a girl. The rumour unhappily turned out to be true.

The victim was Clara Jane Hannaford aged 15 of 2, Henry St Plymouth, the eldest daughter of George Hannaford, a corporation employee and had been engaged to Edmund Walter Elliott a hairdresser age 19 of Well St Plymouth. Recently there have been quarrels between them. Last night the girl attended one of the places of entertainment in Plymouth and it is stated that after leaving there she went to the Atheneum Hotel and met her parents before telling them she was going home.

 

Soon after half past ten people were shocked to see her running along Queen St across Union St and into Atheneum Lane screaming and with blood flowing from a large wound in her neck. At the entrance to Atheneum Lane she flung up her arms and fell to the ground exhausted. It is believed she was running to the Homeopathic Hospital in Lockyer St.

 

Mr J Tremlett of East St, Stonehouse, an artificer in the navy, immediately ran to her assistance and sent for the police and a doctor. P.S. Beer and P.C.Quantick were on duty in George St and they ran to the spot. A telephone message was despatched to the police station for the ambulance and Dr Parsloe was summoned. Several additional constables arrived and the police had the most difficult duty in keeping back the crowd from where the girl had fallen. The ambulance arrived with despatch and Dr Parsloe quickly responded to the call. Under the direction of Dr Parsloe the girl was removed to go to the Homeopathic Hospital but died on route. Dr Parsloe pronounced life extinct and she was taken to the mortuary in Vauxhall St. Her throat had been cut and the wound extended from ear to ear.

 

It appears that when the girl was in Queen St she met Edmund Walter Elliott and he persuaded her to accompany him to Queen Lane where they argued and he committed the terrible act. At the bottom of a back door entrance to one house in Summerland St a quantity of blood was found. The police immediately interviewed the girls family members and went in search of Elliott.

 

In the meantime Edmund Elliott the accused rushed into the Plymouth Central Police Station at 11.30pm and addressing Inspector Hitchcock said "are you looking for Ted Elliott?" The inspector told him they were to which Elliott replied "I am Ted Elliott". The inspector arrested him advising him that this was a very serious charge.  Elliott said " I did it with a razor she had been out with another young man tonight I met her and put her to rights. It was not premeditated in any way it was done on the spur of the moment"

 

The prisoner was then searched and formally charged with wilfully and maliciously murdering Clara Jane Hannaford by cutting her throat with a razor in Queen lane on 17th Nov 1908.

 

After the doctor had arrived Mr J Tremlett and a friend had followed the blood trail to Queen lane and discovered the razor.

 

TRIAL & SENTENCE

Due to Edmunds admission of guilt the trial was a foregone conclusion.. Edmund was jealous of Clara spending the evening at the theatre with someone else and the jealousy had caused him to lose control on the spur of the moment. Edmund was found gullty of wilfully murdering Clara with a razor and was sentenced to death by hanging. The sentence was carried out on 30th March 1909 at Exeter Prison.