The file that Scotland Yard must have compiled on William Bury as part of its investigation of him for the Jack the Ripper murders is no longer extant, and so the information obtained about its investigation by U.K. journalist Norman Hastings, who published his account in 1929 in Thomson’s Weekly News, is of great interest. … [Read more…]
Many serial killers have been involved in alcohol abuse. In this post I will review what is known about William Bury’s relationship with alcohol. Was William Bury a drinker? Yes, testimony at his trial and numerous newspaper reports indicate that he was. What did he drink? Bury was very much a beer drinker. The Dundee … [Read more…]
William Bury’s 1884 prison record, found in register no. 2795 in West Yorkshire Prison Records, 1801-1914, includes a brief description of him. A cut on the right side of his neck is identified as a noteworthy physical characteristic. It is not clear if this refers to a fresh cut or a scar. If it was … [Read more…]
In assessing William Bury’s connection to the Jack the Ripper murders, some Ripperologists have expressed the reservation that they believe that Scotland Yard must have investigated Bury and cleared him. Let’s take a quick look at the facts that pertain to this issue. There are no extant police records which indicate that Scotland Yard either … [Read more…]
As I noted in Postidentification Ripperology, the identification of William Bury as Jack the Ripper still leaves a number of the Whitechapel murders unsolved, and one of these is the murder of the prostitute, Emma Smith, who was assaulted very early on the morning of April 3, 1888, and who died from an infection related … [Read more…]