“TIMBER MAY”

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 December 1925, Page 3

“TIMBER MAY”

a Sydney Tickpocket. Official confirmation of the wealth of “Timber May,” expert woman pickpocket, who died in Sydney recently, has been given now that letters of administration are being applied for by her next-of-kin. No will has been found, and three brothers, a sister, a nephew, and a niece will benefit in the distribution of £23,329. “Timber May.” as she was referred to by the police, was down on the records as May Walsh, or Hose Walsh. She was given the title of “Timber May” because the police thought that she owned considerable property in the city. She was notorious as a pickpocket, and had numerous convictions. She was the originator of the “brown paper” trick, which consisted in placing a roll of brown paper in the pocket of her victim, from whom she had thieved a roll of notes. Her first start was at North Sydney. She wanted to build a cottage, so she stole enough from places in course ot erection to build it. From that she went on until she owned 118 houses. Her confessed ambition was to own sufficient property to return her an income of £4O a week. She had just reached this figure when she died. Her lawyers describe her as Theresa Alice Taylor, but they add that she was also known as Mrs. May Wilson, Amy Rose Wilson, Mrs. Alice Rose Payten, and Rose Whatton. The captain of a large steamer trading to Sydney and a squatter can testify to her ability with the brown paper. : The former lost £BO in one meeting with “Timber May,” and he decided to go back and see her next night to get the money. He had a heated argument with her, retiring defeated. When he got back to his ship he found that another £lO was missing. She made a speciality of buying slum properties, claiming that from them she got a far better monetary return than if sho had invested her money, in property in any other part of the city. During her career as a pickpocket she worked alone, and, though other women have since adopted her ruse with brown paper, none has been as successful as the originator of the scheme.