The Life of William Henry Bury

[Ashkenaz]

It was in the trial notes that the jury stated 'Guilty' but asked for recommendation for mercy, due to conflicting medical advice. They were told that if there was any doubt, it was their duty to acquit him. If not, then there were no grounds for recommendation for mercy.

If you take someone's life, why should a jury hesitate, even if the death sentence is applicable..........unless you didn't trust your own judgement?

Hi Mrsperfect. With regret, I have come to the end of William Beadle's book : JtR Unmasked. It really is a marvelous read.

Chapter 12 page 281, we read that "Dundonians were not exactly enamoured of the death penalty" Beadle then cites several instances where it was thought innapropriate. Bury, was the last man to be hung in Dundee.

[Mrsperfect]

Book Review?

Well Ashkenaz.

How do you feel about Bury being JtR now that you've read Beadle's book?

I had thought Bury was the last 'hanged' man in Dundee (thanks Graham) but it appears there was at least one other.

I googled this but only Bury's name came up. There's a distinction between public hanging and inside the prison hanging it seems.

Regards

Eileen

[Ashkenaz]

Well Ashkenaz.

How do you feel about Bury being JtR now that you've read Beadle's book?

I had thought Bury was the last 'hanged' man in Dundee (thanks Graham) but it appears there was at least one other.

I googled this but only Bury's name came up. There's a distinction between public hanging and inside the prison hanging it seems.

Regards

Eileen

I am certain that Bury is our man. A great read indeed. I got something from the book, and I shall post in due time.

[Mrsperfect]

johns posted this information from the Stourbridge Library:

Bury leaves the Blue Coat orphanage (Old Swinford Hospital) and is apprenticed to John Bennett, tailor of 29 Horsefair, Kidderminster, Worcestershire some time in 1873.

There's another piece of background material on Bury

Regards

Eileen

[John Wheat]

All things considered why is Bury often overlooked as a suspect in favor of weaker suspects eg Gull, Mann etc?

[Sam Flynn]

All things considered why is Bury often overlooked as a suspect in favor of weaker suspects eg Gull, Mann etc?

Clearly, he's a "better" suspect than Gull, John... but Mann? Now I'm not suggesting Mann is a "good" candidate - far from it - but at least what little we know about him leaves room for (wild) speculation. The problem with Bury is that we know exactly how he killed, and for me that's precisely what weakens his credibility as a Ripper suspect. Even as a copy-cat "Ripper" murder, what he did to Ellen was a pretty lame effort.

[John Wheat]

The problem with Bury is that we know exactly how he killed, and for me that's precisely what weakens his credibility as a Ripper suspect. Even as a copy-cat "Ripper" murder, what he did to Ellen was a pretty lame effort.

Fair point although I take the view that we know Bury murdered at least one woman and in a comparatively violent manner when compared to for example Chapman.

Cheers John

[Boggles]

Fair point

No its not a fair point, far from it. The Ellen Bury mutilations are comparable to Nichols and nobody else we know at the time killed like that. Keppels study has shown that genital mutilation is extremely rare. Bury lived in the same town, we even have contemporary evidence that he drunk in Whitechapel. All other circumstantial evidence aside (and there is a lot of it), these 2 points alone when combined make it unlikely that he was not Jack. Minimum is that he is the best suspect we have by a county mile. I wish it wasn't true, i would be quite happy if there were more interesting suspects but there inst, there is only Bury.

[Cogidubnus]

But, and I will repeat this ad infinitum, Bury did not manually strangulate, nor did he cut throats...He did not cut abdomens deep enough to extract organs either...nor indeed did he practise an escape strategy...so I'm sorry Will...any connection re commonality of MO has to be much reduced

All the best

Dave

[DRoy]

But, and I will repeat this ad infinitum, Bury did not manually strangulate, nor did he cut throats...He did not cut abdomens deep enough to extract organs either...nor indeed did he practise an escape strategy...so I'm sorry Will...any connection re commonality of MO has to be much reduced

All the best

Dave

True Dave, Bury appears to be a copycat killer just like those from all over the world who tried to copy 'JTR'.

Cheers
DRoy

[Lechmere]

I don't believe there is any firm evidence he actually went to Whitechapel. I believe the 'Whitechapel' references with regard to Bury are used by Scottish writers in the generic sense meaning 'East End'. That was my impression when I read into Bury a few years back anyway.

[Boggles]

Also can someone link me to trial transcipt

[Boggles]

I don't believe there is any firm evidence he actually went to Whitechapel

Hi Lechmere from the trial transcript one of the witnesses testified on oath to him drinking in a pub in Whitechapel, his wife found him and he struck her. They are on this forum somewhere and worth read.

Dave -

Bury did not manually strangulate, nor did he cut throats...He did not cut abdomens deep enough to extract organs either

Similar to Nichols, except he didn't cut her throat - first thing a copycat murder would have done is slit the throat (strengthening the argument he wasn't a copy cat). Everyone knew jack cut throats.

Experience now shows us no serial killer kills in exactly the same way, the mutilations on Ellen vs other JTR victims well within the deviation range typically seen in known cases. and more convincing than any of the other 'potential' victims on this website I might add but yet you don't see her there.

Strangulation with props tends to be a refinement of manual strangulation.

[Boggles]

nor indeed did he practise an escape strategy.

Correct me if im wrong but I suspect you have too high expectations that Jack was a criminal mastermind Dave?, whoever he was Jack was a deranged nutter who was lucky, like most serial killers that get captured people end up saying 'I cant believe it was just a lorry driver etc'

[Cogidubnus]

No Will, but I do believe JtR had a healthy respect for his own safety, so even if the escape strategy was simply "do it and leg it", Bury did not practise this ...he hung around for days then meekly handed himself in...For the rest I'll stick with my original post #54

All the best as always

Dave