The Hairy Man aka Riley the Bushranger

"THE HAIRY MAN " At Armidale, a man named John Burns (alias Shields) was brought before the Court on a charge of larceny, and remanded for eight days. Burns was arrested between Armidale and Grafton. Accused had a stolen horse belonging to John Drew and found in his possession, and was armed with two revolvers. When the constable was making the arrest, Burns. pulled one of the revolvers out from his breast and attempted to fire, but the weapon did not go off. Burns made a second attempt to fire, and again failed. He then endeavoured to get out the second revolver, but the constable arrested him. Burns has hair alnd whiskers about a foot long, and is known as "the hairy man." He admits stealing the horse. The police have been after him for some years, but he was hidden in the ranges. There are good grounds for supposing him to be Riley, the bushranger, who stuck up several mail coaches a few years back. While in Armidale Gaol, Burns tried to escape in September 1888 by climbing over the wall while working in the yard cutting wood. On the 10 October 1888, at the Circuit Court the man Burns, alias the " Hairy Man," found guilty of sticking-up and robbing the Bundarra-Inverell mail on the 23 May 1883, was sentenced to 15 years' hard labour.