BRADY, COOK, HOFFMAN "The Kansas City Star" (Missouri) Thursday, July 2, 1914 WOMEN MOBBED A SALESMAN. Charles HOFFMAN, salesman for a patent sadiron that was very sad, indeed, made the great mistake yesterday. He went back over territory that he had already canvassed. Then things began to happen. News of the near riot went by telephone to police headquarters on the Kansas side yesterday afternoon. In a house near Fifth Street and Rowland Avenue, James COOK, motor cycle patrolman, found HOFFMAN held captive by twenty-five indignant housewives. More were on the way, as COOK could readily observe. The telephone had summoned the neighborhood. From the answers, COOK gathered that HOFFMAN had sold an iron which he represented could be heated by carbon and would retain the heat an hour. "But it stays hot only about two minutes," said one woman, flourishing her purchase. "And to think I gave him $3.40 for it. Here, see for yourself." Thereupon the iron was heated and the woman attempted to iron a shirtwaist. The iron went cold and the waist looked like a venerable ruin. COOK rescued HOFFMAN from the women and took him to police headquarters. Sixty women by the count, half of them bearing purchases, appeared against HOFFMAN in the Kansas side police court this morning. Judge BRADY fined HOFFMAN $25 and sentenced him to three months in jail. ====================================================== (I have no connection with these people but I'd appreciate knowing if you found this posting helpful.) johnobrien@kc.rr.com ======================================================