Major Rathbone's accomodation in Hannover

[Eva Elisabeth]

(10-03-2013 02:22 PM)calebj123 Wrote:  Eva thanks so much for the translation. The act was so horrific and there are even more details that flesh out the actions of that early morning. Henry had been sleeping with a loaded gun under his pillow for the few weeks before the murder. His post traumatic stress and depression was worsening. The night before the murder he actually sat in a family room "staring blankly and picking at a handkerchief". There's no doubt his ruminations and paranoia was at its height. Clara herself mentioned to her sister that "the end was not far off", however she assumed he was going to commit suicide. The neighbors around their home stated that Henry was wary of "strange people" and "shy of human beings".

He went for the children first and after his sister-in-law refuted his entrance, Clara came into the hallway told Louise to "lock the door and save the children; there is going to be dreadful work." There's no doubt Clara was aware the end was near. After screams from the bedroom, two gunshots rang out and Louise busted into their locked room. There she found her sister and Clara's last words to her were "He has killed us both at last." She died within five minutes.

Henry however was delirious and covered in his own blood from the five stab wounds he inflicted on himself, one deep into his lung. Henry actually started calling out for Clara, not aware of what he had done. "Who could have done this? I have no enemies!" he cried out. when the German police arrived Henry was adament there were men hiding behind the paintings.

There is a little more detail to the story, but I don't want to give too much of my book away so early. I've also attached an amazing drawing depicting the act from the National Police Gazette, 1/10/1884.

Hi Caleb! Thank you very much for sharing and posting this fascinating engraving. I can understand you were excited finding it.
It's interesting that Clara is depicted lying on the floor.The death/police report doesn't say whether Clara lay on the floor or on the bed, the "Hannoversche Courier" (on Dec.25) wrote she had lain on the bed. Obviously the National Police Gazette had a different source (or imagination?), I wonder who was right. Same goes for Clara speaking any last words (according to the Courier she hadn't).