Constable Edwin Erskine May

Constable Edwin May said he was a native of London, and arrived in Queensland In 1866, when he was a youth. He gravitated from the northern metropolis to "out back." when he became a stockman at Mooloolman Station, then owned by Mr. Augustus Barton, where he was employed for about 5 years. During his spare time, when not engaged in rounding up cattle, his occupation was breaking in horses, at which he became an expert. Tiring of this life, however, he severed his connection with the station, and proceeded to the Mount Perry Copper Mine in the Burnett district, where he followed for a time the occupation of a miner.

After some experience in the mining business, he started his own business carrying copper from the mine at Maryborough, which at that time was not connected with the railway system, and he continued up to 1876 to follow the same business.    

He then came to Sydney and joined the Mounted Police. After being trained at the old Belmore Barracks he was transferred to the Maitland district as a trooper under Mr. Morrison, the then superintendent. Five years later he was made a first-class constable, and was sent to the Macleay district, and put in charge of Boat Harbour station (now Bellingen). In July 1885, came Constable May's opportunity of showing to his superior officers what his capabilities were.

The particulars of a most revolting murder at Coffs Harbour at that time a small settlement on the coast was reported io the authorities. The particulars given were that a young man named Mat Matteson, a young Russian Finn, was missing, and on inquiries being instituted no trace of his whereabouts could be ascertained. Constable May was deputed to investigate the matter.

Friske was arrested by May on suspicion of having committed the murder.

When May had Friske in custody, he had a rather trying time, as there was no lockup near Coff's Harbour, so he had to handcuff the prisoner to himself all night. May was, however, rewarded for his trouble, for on the day following upon Friske's arrest he described to May how he had killed Matteson with an axe, and cut the body up and burned it except for the right leg, which he threw away in the bush

When asked to collect the exhumed leg of Mattson, May nearly lost his life, as he contracted blood poisoning in his left arm and had to go into Grafton Hospital for treatment. He remained in hospital for about four months and had no fewer than 11 operations performed on him, which resulted in him losing, for a time, the use of his arm, which gradually recovered.

The next episode in Constable May's career was in connect ion with what was known as the New Zealand "Barrier Murder." In June 1880 a man named Robert Taylor, a resident, of Tryphena Bay, N.Z., was found murdered. Two men named John Caffery and Henry Albert Penn were supposed to be concerned in the affair.  They sole a ship and sailed to Australia, scuttling the ship at Trial Bay. A reward was offered, and the police were on alert. A sighting was made so May disguised himself as a swagman, with "bluey" up, and started out to do the “Sherlock Holmes" trick. When near Deep Creek he met a man carrying a swag, and from the description of the wanted man furnished by the Police Gazette, May formed the opinion he had come across one of the men, John Caffery. From the information supplied, Caffery was supposed to be very dangerous. His age was about 36, and a powerfully built man. He could, if is said, swing a 2001b bag of flour with ease, and was described as a man of unbridled passions. To him Ned Kelly was the ideal of a hero, and it was known that he had expressed the intention of someday coming to Australia to join or organise a band of bushrangers. Having in view the characteristics of the wanted man, May was naturally careful, more especially as it had been reported that Caffery was armed with a loaded revolver. "I feigned to be looking for work," May told a reporter, and I asked him where I could get a job. He said there was no work the way he came, so they agreed to go together to ,the Clarence district as mates, where they could probably get a job of cane cutting. After crossing the Bellinger punt, May revealed his identity us a N.S.W. constable, and quickly placed the handcuffs on Caffrey.

Both Caffery and Penn were extradited to New Zealand, where they were placed on trial, found guilty of the murder, and eventually hanged by Robert Howard (the only hangings in New Zealand by Howard) May was promoted to the rank of Senior Constable, and was given a substantial portion of the reward offered for the arrest of the murderers.

Another arrest that was made by May under somewhat exciting circumstances of an aboriginal named Sandy, for murdering his wife. Although a warrant had been in existence for some nine months, it was difficult to locate the man. May received information which led him to believe that he was at the aboriginal camp at the Bellinger River. Going there he found Sandy among a group of thirty aboriginals and took him into custody, but before he was able to get his prisoner from the camp May  had tb point his revolver at the group to keep the others at bay, as they threatened to kill him with their tomahawks. Sandy was subsequently brought to Sydney  where he was tried for the crime before Mr. Justice Windeyer, found guilty of manslaughter, and sentenced to twelve months gaol.

In 1889, when May was stationed at Nambucca River, the arm which was previously injured while in the execution of his duty, became very weak, and he was compelled to come to Sydney for medical advice. After being examined by the Government doctors, he was certified as being unfit for further service, and discharged from the force. That was very unfortunate for him, as the Inspector-General, Mr. Fosbery, told him that he intended to promote him to sergeant.

In 1891 when the arm was well again, when Mr. Fosbery found him employment under the old Transit Commission. May was then allowed to re-enter the force as a first-class constable and did traffic duty for about five years. Through failing health, he was transferred to the Newtown division, where he did station duty right up to the end of his 30-year service.

May was the son of Mr G May of May’s Motor Works and settled in South Australia with his wife and daughter.