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I've written a couple of times that William Bury and James Kelly are two suspects that intrigue me greatly in the Ripper case, though I'm far from decided on either of them (or anyone else). I was just comparing them in my mind and thought I'd put the matter up for debate. They were of similar age at the time of the murders (Bury 29, Kelly 28) and so would have matched some of the witnesses' estimations of the killer's age, and both also had facial hair as described by witnesses. They both murdered their wives (Bury after the Ripper murders, Kelly before) by knife in ways similar to the Ripper. Both left London shortly after the murders ceased (unless you count later victims like McKenzie and Coles- neither could have been responsible for those as Kelly was out of the country and Bury was dead). There was definite police interest in both suspects at the time, not only in retrospect, as it's a matter of record that Abberline traveled to interview Bury in jail about the Ripper crimes before his execution for killing his wife, and documents attest to earnest police efforts to locate Kelly during the Whitechapel murders.
Now the differences, which I admit are mostly just the impressions I get personally from reading about these men. Bury was a free man at the time of the murders, while Kelly was a fugitive recently escaped from Broadmoor. I get the feeling Bury was for the most part a brute, while Kelly may have had a few more social graces. (i.e., Bury could easily be pictured as the man seen throwing Elizabeth Stride to the ground, while Kelly might be more likely thought of as the man heard telling her, "You would say anything but your prayers.") I do not think that Bury and Kelly would have gotten along with each other whatsoever or found that they had anything in common beyond their hatred of women.
As an aside, I do not think that John Morrison's theories about James Kelly's associations with Mary Jane Kelly have any credence, and they are not necessary to make James a viable suspect. And on Bury, I remember a post about him before the big crash happened here on Casebook that basically asked, "Why isn't this guy Suspect Number One?"
Again, I do not favor either man as being JTR. They both just greatly intrigue me.
Now the differences, which I admit are mostly just the impressions I get personally from reading about these men. Bury was a free man at the time of the murders, while Kelly was a fugitive recently escaped from Broadmoor. I get the feeling Bury was for the most part a brute, while Kelly may have had a few more social graces. (i.e., Bury could easily be pictured as the man seen throwing Elizabeth Stride to the ground, while Kelly might be more likely thought of as the man heard telling her, "You would say anything but your prayers.") I do not think that Bury and Kelly would have gotten along with each other whatsoever or found that they had anything in common beyond their hatred of women.
As an aside, I do not think that John Morrison's theories about James Kelly's associations with Mary Jane Kelly have any credence, and they are not necessary to make James a viable suspect. And on Bury, I remember a post about him before the big crash happened here on Casebook that basically asked, "Why isn't this guy Suspect Number One?"
Again, I do not favor either man as being JTR. They both just greatly intrigue me.
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