The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Bury had the only key
“The recent Courier report that William Bury murdered his wife Ellen in a flat in Union Street, Dundee, is incorrect,” emails Michael Mulford of Cupar. “The couple stayed in Union Street for a few days having fled from Whitechapel. The murder took place in a basement hovel at 113 Princes Street. I am not surprised no one was ever caught for writing inside the flat ‘Jack Ripper is in this seller’ and ‘Jack Ripper is behind this door’.
“William Bury had the only key. Only two people could have scribbled those desperate messages in chalk – William Bury, who was about to go to the police and pretend Ellen had strangled herself; or Ellen, the battered wife who knew her husband was Jack the Ripper, and knew she was next.
“The jury verdict was guilty by unanimous decision, but ‘with a strong recommendation to mercy’. Lord Young, the judge, asked why and was told it was on the basis of the conflicting medical evidence. The jury reconsidered for all of five minutes before declaring ‘guilty as libelled’.
“Before he was hanged, Bury signed a confession letter saying it was by his own hands Ellen had died – of strangulation. He didn’t mention it, but injuries he imposed on Ellen post-mortem have been linked by an eminent pathologist working with me as ‘allowing the conclusion that the injuries are in keeping with one person doing all seven’. The other six were the Whitechapel victims.
“The essential issue at the trial was that three doctors said Ellen had died of asphyxia due to strangulation, with two doctors for the defence saying you could strangle yourself. Much was made of Dr Taylor’s famous work on medical jurisprudence which says you cannot strangle yourself.
“As to the ‘mock trial’ in front of law students, they were never told of Bury’s written confession, done between conviction and execution, so presumably were persuaded you can strangle yourself!
“I cannot wait to resume, post pandemic, my charity fundraising presentation of The People Versus Jack The Ripper, in which I tell the full story which, I believe, proves that William Henry Bury, the last man hanged in Dundee, was Jack the Ripper.
“This successful charity event has the whole audience as a jury who get to vote ‘guilty or not guilty’ in a secret ballot at the end. The charity concerned keeps all netfree proceeds.
“My juries to date have included murder squad detectives, scientists from the United Nations Commission in The Hague, local charities, and the Whitechapel Society.”