Family's Bereavement

As Told in the Western Morning News

 

As soon as the terrible news reached the family of Mr Hannaford there were distressing scenes. The mother became hysterical and ran to the scene of the tragedy, whilst the next eldest sister and an aged grandmother, both hatless and crying bitterly, ran through the streets to the Homeopathic Hospital to learn if it was true that the girl had died. On hearing the worst had happened their distress was most pitiful. For more than an hour after the information became known that Clara Hannaford had been murdered, hundreds of persons congregated outside the house of her parents in Henry St and the ordeal which Mr & Mrs Hannaford went through was an extremely painful one. After seeing her daughter's body removed to the hospital Mrs Hannaford was distraught with grief and had to be taken home in a cab. The father went as far as the mortuary and he was deeply affected. When both returned home they were sympathetically greeted by the crowd, which surged around them.

It was only with difficulty that they could enter their premises.

On their return to Henry St, the younger sister and her grandmother, both breathless and crying bitterly were closely surrounded by neighbours and the scene was most pathetic.

 

The next day thousands of people were attracted to the scene of the tragedy. They began to arrive early in the morning and the stream of inquisitive visitors continued throughout the day. members of the police were stationed in Queen Lane and Atheneum Lane. By the evening between 7.30 and 9.30pm the crowd was enormous. It swarmed through Queen Street four and five deep. Groups of persons of both sexes congregated and the whole details of the crime were discussed.

 

On November 20th following the Inquest, which found a verdit of wilful murder, the body of Clara jane Hannaford was taken to her parents home in Henry St. It became known that the body would be brought to the house about 6.30pm and a large crowd collected in Summerland St and Henry St. Whilst the coffin was being conveyed into the house there were many manifestations of grief at the sad end of the girl and of condolences to her paents. The funeral will take place on Sunday morning at Plymouth cemetery.