Alfred Henry Hance

Alfred Hance was attacked by three men in Becmead Avenue, Streatham, and died from his injuries three weeks later on 5 April 1907.

He had formerly been the manager of the London Daily Chronicle and Lloyds News having joined them in 1865 and have only just retired two years earlier.

He had been attacked by three men who beat him, knocking him out with a blow to the head, and stole his watch, rings, a purse with £4 in it, emptying his pockets and leaving him in the street unconscious. He had been returning home at about 10pm when he was attacked by the three men who were described as having been well dressed men, a few yards from the door of his house.

He had lain in the street unconscious for some time and the shock had made him very weak and led to a recurrence of a previous illness.

After the attack he was able to reach his home but was unable to describe his attackers.

The doctor said that his injuries were probably caused by a blow from a fist but the cause of death was given as exhaustion following shock from injury.

He had lived on Becmead Avenue.