 The hoax was uncovered on 4 December . Thomas Onslow , 2nd Baron Onslow , had begun an investigation of his own and discovered that for the past month Toft 's husband , Joshua , had been buying young rabbits . Convinced he had enough evidence to proceed , in a letter to physician Sir Hans Sloane he wrote that the affair had " almost alarmed England " and that he would soon publish his findings . The same day , Thomas Howard , a porter at the bagnio , confessed to Justice of the Peace Sir Thomas <unk> that he had been bribed by Toft 's sister @-@ in @-@ law , Margaret , to sneak a rabbit into Toft 's chamber . When arrested and questioned Mary denied the accusation , while Margaret , under Douglas 's interrogation , claimed that she had obtained the rabbit for eating only . 
