Skip to main content

Strange and Weird Stories - Maitland's hairy man gets clean up



This story may not be paranormal - but it is strange and weird and very sad.
This is just one case where going to Gaol was a good thing and probably something that allowed this person to have a decent clean up.





Singleton Argus (NSW : 1880 - 1954), Saturday 28 July 1928

MAITLAND'S HAIRY MAN

SENT TO GAOL FOR CLEAN-UP

For many years a 'wild, hairy man' has been frequenting the scrub and the outlying parts of East Maitland.
Following many complaints that women had been terrorised, the police have arrested the man, and he was brought before the court on Thursday on a charge of vagrancy. 

His name was given as William Cook, and his age 58. 

The police said that during the day Cook was in the habit of roaming through the bush and foraging among rubbish tips for scraps. 

His hair had not been cut for eight years, they said, and his body and clothes were filthy, and in this state he begged from women living on the outskirts of the town. 

The women, they said, were frightened of him. 

Once Cook appeared in public—during the "Back to Maitland Week"— and created, a stir, with his long hair and unkempt appearance. 

It is stated that ever since the" very mention of him has been sufficient to silence tho most troublesome child."

His home was described by the police as like a rabbit burrow, into which Cook had to crawl on hands and knees. 

It was made of old chaff bags, and his bed comprised dirty bags and rags. 

One of his specialities was cigarette butts, and of recent years,he had been frequently hoard to complain that the day of big ones had passed. 

But the three days in Maitland Gaol awaiting Court proceedings had made a big difference in Cook's appearance. The barber had left his mark. His hair had been cropped short and his beard similarly treated, exposing a kindly face and a broad grin revealing a sense of humor.

 "1 have done nothing against tho law to be brought here,"he said in a voice which intimated that at some time his position in life had boon very, different. 

He refused to go to an institution, and preferred tho alternative of a month's hard labour in Maitland Gaol. 

"It will do him good," said  Sergeant Wood. "It will give him time to be cleaned up." 

Cook was warned by Mr D. W. Reed, P.M., that when he came out of Gaol he would have to live a cleaner and more decent life. 

He left the court smiling.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Diary of a Ghost Hunter - The Wallacia Hotel

  We were given the opportunity of staying overnight at the Wallachia Hotel in Western Sydney. The hotelwas officially opened on December 3rd 1937. During the Second World War the hotel was used as the Army headquarters for radiopyhysics. I had never been to the Wallacia Hotel before, but, my ghost hunting gal pal Anne, had been there about 5 years ago with a group of Paranormal Investigators that she was working with at the time. We arrived and we were greeted by Craig, the night manager, who welcomed us with open arms.  Craig recognised Anne from the last time she had visited.  Anne asked whether any spooky things had been happening over the last few years. Craig said that he always thought that there was something a little bit weird going on late at night. Over the last few months everything had changed as the Hotel had been very much affected by the COVID lock downs This was a huge hotel with quite an interesting history even though in the whole scheme of things the hotel was only

Lemon Tree Passage Ghost - Local legend is alive and well

Lemon Tree Passage  is a suburb of the Port Stephens local government area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, located at the end of the Tilligerry Peninsula and surrounded by the waters of beautiful Port Stephens .  Ever since I can remember there have been a few urban legends about a stretch of highway named Lemon Tree Passage Road. The story begins when a motor bike rider and his pillion passenger died after colliding with a four wheel drive killing both. This seems to be the source of the ghostly lights and apparition. These sort of events don't stay quiet in small townships. Stories spread fast often not ending up like they started. Every so often this urban legend makes a comeback with a number to people tempting fate and poking the ghost rider.             A memorial to Dale Dickens on the Lemon Tree Passage Road / Pic: Robert Mckell Source:The Daily Telegraph The  Lemon Tree Passage ghost  first made headlines in 2010 after drivers cau

Diary of a Ghost Hunter - Lochinvar House in the Hunter Valley NSW

 I have just spent a weekend at the historic homestead - Lochinvar House, just outside of Lochinvar in the NSW Hunter Valley. This was, for me, a team bonding opportunity and a chance to get away from worries associated with Covid. It was also where members of my ghost hunting volunteers got to head onto this site before we invited in the public, to check out the stories of ghosts and alleged hauntings. Now, as usual, not all historic houses are haunted. And even more intriguing, it seems that not all historic houses are haunted for all the families that live therein. Many times I have heard this - one family may experience seeing and hearing strange things happening at all hours of the day and night. Yet, another family will move in and.....nothing! And so it is.. Why is it like this? I don't know. Do the ghosts pick us? Lochinvar House was built back in the late 1820's by Leslie Duguid who was granted a enormous amount of land in 1822. He was one of the first land owners in N