A BORN POLICEMAN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19364, 30 June 1937, Page 4

A BORN POLICEMAN

CONST. MURRAY RETIRES GENIAL AND WELL-LIKED SERVICE IN THE R.I.C. A more genial, modest, and wellliked man would not readily be found than Constable Richard Murray, who has ben doing beat duty in Gisborne for the past 20 years and who retired to-day from active duty. A well respected constable has been removed from the “beat” by his retirement and Constable “Dick” Murray, as he is better known, commenced three months’ final leave on April 6, and signed off this afternoon. The call of the force and the uniform must have been very strong in the blood of Constable Murray, who was born of Irish parents and first saw the light of day 65 years ago in the William Street Police Barracks, Limerick, on the banks of the River Shannon, and as can be seen, his early environment was totally in the force. His father was Mounted SergeantMajor Patrick Murray, of the Royal Irish Constabulary, and his uncles were also in the R.I.C. What should follow, but that Constable Murray and his two brothers should become members of the R.I.C. A Hard Task-Master Both brothers, have predeceased Constable Murray, the elder having had many experiences before meeting his death in India and the younger later joining the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The R.I.C. proved a hard task-master and, as is well known, many of the men with service in that force, known also for their highly-trained military standing, have found their way to the shores of New Zealand and made good. At the age of 17 Constable Murray made the decision that was understandable and his career started when he joined up with the Bth Royal Hussars, For three years he saw ser- ( vice in Cairo, Aldershot, Newbridge, and the Curagh Camp and after having had 'the experience of life aboard and having the necessary qualifications he returned to his friends and started undergoing, training for the Royal Irish Constabulary, three years in the cayalary being necessary as a preliminary before passing into the mounted section of the constabulary. The latter is a military force and training and discipline severe. A recruit had be 20 years "of age ,■ and it depended upon his progress whether his period of training lasted nine months, the minmum, or 12 months. That meant drill for six hours a day and school for two hours daily under an instructor. If-at the end of that time a recruit was returned “effective” he was added to the strength. Irregular Hours When a man entered the service he found the hours irregular, he being liable to be called out at any hour in time of trouble to do long shifts, and at other times .drill and routine work occupied the time. The mounteds , drilled every day and were called upon for pa'trols, escorts, dispatch riding, and in time of riots or other trouble of the kind were detailed to 1 clear the crowds. An indication of the rigours of the constabulary service was the fact that though the age minimum was 20 years, the maximum for joining was 24 years and after 25 years’ service the constable was considered to be losing his effectiveness as a member of the force. At 49 a man was considered too old for the job. It was a matter of wearing a uniform for life as they were not encouraged to mix with the citizens of 1 the town in which they .were stationed and even when on the 30 days* annual furlough that still applied, though thev could then wear their “civies. In a camp of over 30 rrten a canteen was provided and they were more or less confined to barracks. Constable Murray recalled an arson case while he was stationed on the west of Ireland. A man set fire to a house, in which he had murdered a woman. He was captured and then escaped from his escort to Ackle Island. A large detachment was sent to the island and for four months they were billeted out while _ they searched and patrolled the island and finally they cought the escaped pn- « soner. They had the power to commandeer a private house or public building for the purposes of billeting the force. At the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria Constable Murray was a member of the R.I.C. troop that represented the famous Irish force. The detachment was about 50 strong. Call of the Wanderlust Constable Murray spent six years in the constabulary and during that time was married. Wanderlust was also in his blood by this time and he decided , to try his fortunes abroad. Australia was his next country of residence and he spent 12 months in the Victorian Mounted Police. It was a decided change from the vigourous work with which he was accustomed for though the Australians were fine horsemen it was then a bushman force compared to the constabulary he had resigned from. As it happened, the majority were Australians, but there was a smattering of men from cavalry regiments and the R.I.C.

After his service in Victoria, tales of the land over the Tasman lured him to the Dominion and Constable Murray joined the New Zealand 1 Police Force in 1906 and spent 10 years in interesting and active work within these shores. He joined in Christchurch, was transferred to Dunedin and then to Roslyn, to Lambton quay, Wellington, to Gonville, Wanganui, to Shannon, and to the Whataupoko station in Gisborne. Rejoined the Force . After two months in the Gisborne station he resigned from the force, but in a short time rejoined the service. He served two months in Napier and was again sent to Poverty Bay. For the past 20 years he has been in Gisborne. Physical fitness did not trouble Constable Murray even towards the end of his term and this may be partly attributed to the fact that it is seldom even now that he misses his daily swim at the Waikanae Beach. During the summer months he enjoys a long swim, but in the winter his dips are not so protracted.