A Rhubarb Hoax in Handsworth

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Date:1888

Description:A newspaper cutting from the "Handsworth News" June 30th 1888.
This cutting gives an account of a practical Joke played on a Mr Tomlin, who owned fields in Queens Head Lane.
Someone spread a story that the rhubarb in the fields "might be had for the fetching", as Mr Tomlin intended converting the field to growing cabbages. The story soon spread so that the following day fifty or sixty people where discovered in the field helping themselves. P.C. Jackson was called in and his apperance soon put a stop to the damage.
Mr Tomlin was not able to find who had spread the report and on payment of damages let the matter drop.

Taken from the G.H. Osborne newscuttings collection.

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Donor ref:LF 93.1 G.H. Osborne collection (15/5720)

Source: Local Studies & History Department ,  Birmingham Central Library

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