Inspector David MCBAY (44)

19 Aug 1893
Dundee City Police

PI McBay died of injuries received when he attempted to arrest a deranged man who had already shot several people including two police officers.

In the early afternoon of Tuesday 15^th August 1893, Mrs. Miller and her daughter were standing at the foot of the close where they lived in John Street Dundee, talking to friends. At that time a neighbour came downstairs from his attic dwelling with his 4 year old son. The man had been a stoker and had travelled the world, but for five years he had been ‘..more or less an invalid from the effects of fever and ague and injuries to the brain’.

He regularly complained to his wife that the neighbours were persecuting him, but it was always alleged to have happened when she and his 15 year old daughter were at work in the nearby Jute Mill. His often strange behaviour included jumping about when he met the neighbours, shouting ‘Jack the Ripper!’

This behaviour had attracted the attention of the ‘local urchins’ who had taken to taunting him with the name. However, his condition had seemed to be getting better of late and he had purchased a ticket to go to America to find suitable work.

As he approached the women, some words were exchanged causing the man to return indoors. Moments later he emerged in a rage and without warning began firing a revolver at them. He shot Isabella Norrie then shot Catherine Miller – who was holding an infant in her arms. Another woman was able to escape with another girl although the gunman emptied his revolver trying to shoot them as they ran. He then returned to his attic and barricaded himself inside with his young son, shouting at the growing crowd from the window.

Various people ran to the police station to raise the alarm but three nearby (unarmed) beat men, Constables Anderson, Dickson and Clark attended having heard the shots and subsequent commotion. Accompanied by two local men they climbed the stairs in an attempt to locate and detain the gunman. On arriving at the attic room they could hear him shouting from within, but as they approached they were met by a hail of bullets fired through the closed door. One of the local men, John Wishart was hit in the arm, Constable Anderson in the face and arm and Constable Dickson in his shoulder. All three were seriously injured and had to be helped away.

Lieutenant Lamb was on duty at the police station and he organised the available resources to contain the gunman and try to control the growing throng in the streets outside. The other occupants of the close were evacuated and a plan put together to end the siege. The gunman’s wife was brought from work to try to talk him into surrendering but to no avail and, fearing for the safety of the child, a plan to storm the room was devised.

‘Knowing he was armed with such a powerful weapon, the utmost caution was exercised in going about this business. A number of chairs were procured, and it was arranged the officers to enter first should carry these in front of them in case he should fire’. Their precautions seem to take scant regard of three people being shot through a wooden door!

The officers, led by Inspector David McBay, forced the door by using a large piece of wood as a battering ram then rushed in. The gunman was in the middle of the room and as he raised the revolver it was batted aside by Inspector McBay who was the first to seize him. ‘The officers were prepared for the prisoner using the revolver, but it did not occur to them he would make use of a knife in defending himself.’ In the rush to subdue their prisoner he lashed out and struck Inspector McBay with the knife, inflicting a severe wound. The gunman was a large and well-built man; contemporary reports suggest the officers used all available means to subdue him, including the battering ram, and broke several batons in the struggle. His young son was unharmed.

The gathered throng were keen that the gunman be ‘lynched’ on the spot but he was taken to the police station where he was detained and placed under constant supervision. Inspector McBay was conveyed to the Infirmary in an ‘ambulance van’, his injury was so serious that the Procurator Fiscal precognosed him immediately. He was conscious throughout and gave a clear statement of events.

Of the wounded, Catherine Miller was gravely ill having been shot twice. Mrs Norrie was shot in the abdomen. John Wishart was shot through his arm, PC John Anderson was struck in the jaw and left arm leaving terrible wounds and PC William Dickson received a ‘comparatively light wound’ to his shoulder. All received injuries which would most likely be ‘life changing’ even today.

Inspector McBay’s condition deteriorated over the coming days and he died of ‘septic peritonitis’ resulting from his wounds on August 18^th 1893.

The gunman later appeared before the High Court of Justiciary at Edinburgh but was ruled to be insane and unfit to plead. He was committed to Perth prison to be detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure.

David McBay was 44 years of age, married with two sons and two daughters, a native of Kincardineshire who had joined the Dundee City Police in 1872. He served in various capacities over the next few years & in some of the toughest districts of the city.  He had been commended for his bravery, eventually being made a Detective Officer. He was later promoted to uniform sergeant before returning to the Detective staff where, after only 9 months he was promoted to Inspector.

His name is engraved on the Scottish Police Memorial and will never be forgotten.

 

 

 

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