Assessing the case against W.H.Bury

[Sam Flynn]

Hi Eileen,

This was the same night Bury went ‘berserk’ when he got home.

What's the source for that story?

[Mrsperfect]

Weapon found in street

Steve

Here is an extract from my post on 'The Life on William Henry Bury'. I don't know about any chopper found in Miller's court. By the way, Bury used to write Ellen's letters for her, so I don't know if she was up to writing the graffito in their flat.


The night after Eddowes died, Thomas Coram found a blood-stained knife, (dried blood), on the doorstep of a laundry at 252 Whitechapel Road………..near where a policeman said he remembered lending a hand to a man. The man’s horse had fallen down at that very spot. A lady at the laundry had let a woman out no more than an hour before and the policeman had patrolled that street a number of times that night, so the knife couldn’t have been there for more than 15 minutes. Why would an innocent person throw away a good knife? This was the same night Bury went ‘berserk’ when he got home. (Perhaps he couldn’t find his knife in the dark)?

Regards

Eileen

[Mrsperfect]

Steve..............

This simply won't do! You've distinguished between the murder of necessity and the murders of choice! What's wrong with you?

How on earth can you consider Bury to be a suspect, when Sam Flynn knows he's simply a wife beater/murderer? Such balanced posts as yours are unacceptable!

Everybody knows it's a mere co-incidence that Bury simply cruised into London prior to the Tabram murder and cruised out again just after the last one. Relocating to Scotland where, low and behold, another murder victim was discovered!

It's a mere co-incidence that he was known to have had a drink in Whitechapel and didn't always go home each night, (so his wife said). He had a horse and cart and the opportunity to explore the terrain. We won't even talk about his knife fetish, (he slept with a penknife under his pillow)

No, I think you'd be better off concentrating on suspects who were either too old, too rich and famous or too artistic, (or banged up) like the majority of people do and leave the five or six of us who actually think Bury is a credible suspect to be pitied.

Bury murdered his wife and no one heard anything. He lived with her body for days and still no one suspected foul play, until he went to the police with the 'suicide story'.

Regards

Eileen

[stevebaker25]

While I don't know an awful lot about this particular theory, from what I've read maybe Bury killing his wife was out of necessity more than the compulsive acts that has become known as the JTR murders. That's if you want to look at the Ripper as compulsive and not planned. Personally I think it was well organized but I'm sure that's another thread.
The way I read it, if you want to entertain the idea of Bury being the Ripper, it was the wife that wrote the messages about Jack The Ripper on the walls. Maybe she had threatened to tell the authorities? Afterall, she would be in a better position than anyone to know whether he was out all night on the particular nights. Moreover, what's this I read about a chopper being found in Millers Court? That can't be true can it?
I duno, there's an awful lot about this that's wide open to debate, I think. But he's a much better suspect than a lot of the ones put forward. To be honest though even if it was proven, which it can't be, some people would still not accept it
Their lives would be over if this case was to ever be solved

[Suzi]

Just found some interesting stuff- as a girl does...I hate to say it the last bit re the Penny Farthing champion merely shared a name...well I assume he did!

This was re Margaret Crabb who was arrested for 'swearing' and 'bawling out' and 'behaving in a 'turbulent manner''...Cost 10 shillings!!- Bargain I say!!!!




Cant get the Margaret Crabb up to size sadly Google her...she sounds a lot of fun!!

[Suzi]

Hi Sam! -( I LOVE THE IDEA THAT YOU RECOMMEND 'HAPPILY'!!!! [must remember that!!]

I agree the Macpherson is a good read and the tantalising 'I am/was Ja....' always slightly amuses me -in a rather dark way!....'and furthermore.......................' hehe

For daftness (but a good romp)- though I love 'The Night of the Ripper' by Robert (Psycho) Bloch -it's who ISN'T in it that amuses me!!!..Total toot but beautifully written...sadly no MOTHER in Miller's Court though! I've got a gorgeous first edition here and every now and again it comes out!!!!!!!!!!.........and gets read! He he xxxx
Suz x

[Sam Flynn]

Hi BB,

Has any author written a full length account of William Bury?

There are two books that I can happily recommend - William Beadle, Jack the Ripper: Anatomy of a Myth; and Euan Macpherson, The Trial of Jack the Ripper. Be very aware, though, that information about Bury's real life is practically non-existent, and that much of the narrative contained in both books is mainly speculative reconstruction, based on a few scant news reports and trial records. Sometimes this "reconstructed biography", though ingenious, tries too hard to prove a point. This is usually achieved either by exaggerating a fragment of newspaper reportage, or by plugging a gap without reference to a primary source at all. Overall, Macpherson's is the more sober account of the story, and he tends to avoid straying too far from the known sources. Beadle does the opposite, but his book is nonetheless a cracking good read.

[Billy Bulger]

There is no mention anywhere that Bury confessed to the hangman. James Berry the hangman's memoirs were serialised and they were published after his death (in 1913) in Thomson's Weekly News in 1927. Berry's full account of the execution of Bury is given there.

Hi guys, I wouldnt really look too deeply into 'confessions' made by Bury or on behalf of him. Trevor Marriot (21st Century Investigation) vehemently argues that Carl Feigenbaum's (forgive my spelling if incorrect lol) lawyer spoke of similar confessions made by his client prior to his execution. And then there's Neil Cream...

Has any author written a full length account of William Bury?

[DVV]

Bonsoir,
Apart from his wife's murder, the main arguments for Bury's candidacy are based on his alledged "profile".
Now the guy seems completely crazy, and/or completely stupid.
Still, he is one of the viable suspects.
He could be Jack...
But does Jack make a viable Bury?
...
Thanks,
DVV (broken-english poster)

[Sam Flynn]

To kill in his own home where people had seen his wife coming and going would be a whole new ball game.

...in which case, Peter, his "entry strategy" was distinctly dodgy as well

[revpetero]

Interestingly, that is not perhaps an attribute one might associate with Jack the Ripper.

Hi Sam,

As always your responce and thoughts are greatly appreciated. I don't believe William Bury to be JtR. If he was though then the usual exiting down a dark alley in the middle of the night wouldn't be an option. To kill in his own home where people had seen his wife coming and going would be a whole new ball game. It is known that Bury slept and lived at 113 Princes Street for a number of days after the murder, with Ellen stored in the box. If he was to make a run for it then there were people who knew his name and it wouldn't be long before the police were looking for him. If he ran then his guilt wouldn't be questionable. Hence he came up with the suicide story hoping he could dupe a jury either in swallowing this story or at least deeming it a one off and hence no need to look further a field at where he had been and what he maybe capable of.

That isn't what I think happened only musings....

Peter

[Sam Flynn]

Hi Peter,

William Bury to be fair did snap her legs and mutilate her body to fit it in a box.

I believe it was only one leg that had broken - the other merely being twisted, albeit grotesquely - in order to get Ellen into the box. The mutilations, minimal as they were (see crap drawing on previous page ), are unlikely to have helped him fit her in there.

William Bury's main downfall was lack of an exit strategy.

Interestingly, that is not perhaps an attribute one might associate with Jack the Ripper.

[revpetero]

3:Method of killing.Strangulation followed by stabbing but without the mutilaions of Ripper victims. Certainly not the horrors inflicted on Kelly, the other victim where the killer had time and privacy of a room.

William Bury to be fair did snap her legs and mutilate her body to fit it in a box. William Bury's main downfall was lack of an exit strategy. Looking at the case notes and the witness statements then William Bury was calm and calculated and even in his written confession he deflects blame onto Ellen Bury.

Peter

[johns]

Oh you've seen my "talks" eh.

Yeah... not sure about them really. I'd like to more but I just haven't got the time.

I've got a BIG PLAN going on at the moment

Oh and the accent is... well... more Black Country (YamYam) than Brummy.

John

[Sam Flynn]

How are you lately? Fine I hope.

I'm fine, John - nice to hear from you. Hope things are going well with you too. Enjoyed those talks you gave in your fine Black Country accent (or is it Brummie? ) on YouTube 'tother day - looking forward to the next installment