Oswald Puckridge

[Abby Normal]

This person is a pretty good suspect IMHO. and Im not sure why his name never comes up or people don't talk about him more. He was released from an asylum just a few days before Tabram was murdered. He was a police person of interest at the time-they were trying to find him, but apparently never did. He lived in the area and had threatened to "rip people up". so theres a tie in to the name BEFORE he was called the ripper-I find that interesting. He had a medical background-the police thought he had surgical experience.
he died in 1900 of pneumonia-I believe back in an asylum or work house.
any of you research gods dig anything else up on him?

[jerryd]

I do remember a couple things about him, Abby. He painted his dog political colors and the dog died from licking the paint off. He also rode a horse into a post office and tried to forward it by parcel post.

[jerryd]

I believe someone, Sugden?, found he had an alibi for one of the murders. I'll see if I can find all the info on him that was posted some years back.

[jerryd]

https://forum.casebook.org/forum/ripper-discussions/suspects/general-suspect-discussion/1165-puckeridge

[Darryl Kenyon]

I believe Puckridge described himself as a chemist rather than someone with anatomical experience.

[Darryl Kenyon]

He was in Hoxton House Lunatic asylum from Jan 1888 to Aug 4 [got my facts a bit mixed up in last post before editing]. So for the start of the murders, especially if you include Martha he is an excellent fit.

[Abby Normal]

https://forum.casebook.org/forum/rip...165-puckeridge

thanks Jerry!
This is an interesting read!! what a character this guy was!
Not sure he has an alibi though--the city CID apparently followed him a bit-but I don't really see anything about an alibi for any of the murders.
also-he was violent, drank, and had "ample means".
the part about the salvation army reminded me of marshalls man-"you would say anything but your prayers".
weird dude he reminds me a little like the bethnal green botherer.

I highly recommend everyone read this thread jerry provided it is fascinating look at this eccentric character!

[Abby Normal]

I believe Puckridge described himself as a chemist rather than someone with anatomical experience.

and later apparently as a laborer. but the original report on him said-"educated as a surgeon". so maybe not working as one but school/apprenticeship exp. as a surgeon?

[Darryl Kenyon]

Prima Facie, Puckridge does seem a reasonable suspect, makes you wonder why, specifically on Police memoirs of the case why he doesn't seem to have been mentioned as a possible Jack.

[Abby Normal]

Prima Facie, Puckridge does seem a reasonable suspect, makes you wonder why, specifically on Police memoirs of the case why he doesn't seem to have been mentioned as a possible Jack.

hi DK
check out the link/thread jerry provided its fascinating.
the folks on that thread bring up that smith later thought him as a good suspect--but didn't actually name him. I think it looks like he is talking about someone else-one of the medical students. either way-they were so suspicious of him that they followed him around a bit. and he was never exhonerated.

he was a strange dude-violent drinker, yet had "means". he remindes my of the bethnal green botherer of Sarah lewis fame.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hi Abby,

That name is a bit of a blast from the past for me as I recall reading about him in Sugden years ago and thinking of how he was a more interesting suspect than many. Age, I recall, was one of the doubts against him.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...sugden&f=false

if this link has worked it’s the extract on Puckridge from Sugden. I vote for him on his name alone. Who needs a boring William Bury when we could have the Dickensian sounding Oswald Puckridge. Even his wife was Dickensian...Ellen Puddle!

[APerno]

You have to wonder sometimes, was Dickens a truly imaginative writer or did he just get lucky and find himself immersed in a society filled with Dickensian character names to steal from.

[Abby Normal]

Hi Abby,

That name is a bit of a blast from the past for me as I recall reading about him in Sugden years ago and thinking of how he was a more interesting suspect than many. Age, I recall, was one of the doubts against him.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...sugden&f=false

if this link has worked it’s the extract on Puckridge from Sugden. I vote for him on his name alone. Who needs a boring William Bury when we could have the Dickensian sounding Oswald Puckridge. Even his wife was Dickensian...Ellen Puddle!

Lol. I thought the same thing when i read about him first in sugden. I vote for him on name alone!!

[Wickerman]

Hi Abby,

That name is a bit of a blast from the past for me as I recall reading about him in Sugden years ago and thinking of how he was a more interesting suspect than many. Age, I recall, was one of the doubts against him.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...sugden&f=false

if this link has worked it’s the extract on Puckridge from Sugden. I vote for him on his name alone. Who needs a boring William Bury when we could have the Dickensian sounding Oswald Puckridge. Even his wife was Dickensian...Ellen Puddle!

It's even worse than that though, I picture that Batman character Penguin, he has a similar name - just makes me laugh!

[Herlock Sholmes]

It's even worse than that though, I picture that Batman character Penguin, he has a similar name - just makes me laugh!

Hi Wick,

Apparently his name was Oswald Cobblepot. I can imagine the Legal Firm of Cobblepot, Puckridge and Puddle.