We sometimes hear in today’s press and on TV about heartless hoaxers who spread rumours around. This is by no means something new as the following story shows.
On Friday 29th July 1927 many of the people of Pontypool and district were subjected to a cruel hoax by some senseless idiot. The culprit spread a rumour that there had been a terrible explosion in the largest colliery in the district , some three miles outside Pontypool, and that between 30 and 50 miners had been killed.
Colliery explosions were a real worry for every family who had relatives working underground so the story was believed and women folk hurried to the colliery offices to get news about their loved ones. Doubtless they were greatly relieved that in actual fact there had not been an explosion. The women who were first to arrive at the colliery and heard about the hoax returned to Pontypool and were able to inform others who were setting out on the three-mile trek that they needed to go no further.
Naturally there was a great and angry outcry about this thoughtless act and everyone wanted the man or woman who perpetrated the hoax to be brought to justice. The police made exhaustive enquiries but the hoaxer was never identified.
Tags: 29th July 1927, cruel hoax, false rumour, Pontypool hoaxer, rumour - 30 - 50 miners killed, story of mine explosion
Reminiscences of Old Pontypool 
May 3, 2012 at 7:33 pm |
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