Bell's Weekly Messenger, No.1782, Sunday, May 23, 1830.
The following anecdote of Fawcett, connected with his arrival in London, may be worth giving. After Fawcett had left the York company, Tate Wilkinson for some time was unable to attract even tolerable audiences, every body being so dissatisfied at the loss of their favourite; the manager, therefore, hit upon this expedient—he spread a report that Fawcett had returned, and he employed a barber of Leeds, who was very like Fawcett in face and person, and who had a knack of imitating him, to supply his place in the company. The trick succeeded in a few country places, and the houses were filled, but unluckily it was detected at one of the principal towns of the West Riding. People were angry at the imposition, and Tate's receipts fell off most woefully. During a recess in London, he thought himself lucky to be able once more to procure the services of Fawcett, and hoped thus to restore the good humour of those who used to be his audiences. When, however, it was formally announced that Fawcett would play for a few night at Leeds, everyone believed that it was some new manoeuvre of the old manager, and of course staid away, so that the veritable Amphytrion—the "real Simon Pure," came back to London, leaving Tate Wilkinson out of pocket by the experiment.