Cyrus Haley (22 September 1832 – 4 October 1875) was a New Zealand

arsonist Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

. He was born in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

on 22 September 1832 and migrated to

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...

, New Zealand, in 1870. Haley burned down the Music Hall, the ship ''City of Auckland'', a kerosene store, part of the New Zealand Insurance Company building, and the Choral Hall, which had been built to replace the Music Hall. On 22 January 1872 he fired eight shots into businessman Thomas Russell's home at the Pah farm. He was apprehended by police officer Thomas Broham on 28 January 1872 after setting on fire haystacks at the farm. He was convicted of attempted murder, threatening to kill and threatening to destroy property, and sentenced to life in prison. He was shot dead in 1875 while attempting to escape from a labour gang.

References

1832 births 1875 deaths People from Leeds English emigrants to New Zealand New Zealand arsonists Criminals from Yorkshire People convicted of arson People convicted of attempted murder {{NewZealand-crime-bio-stub