The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-12
HUNTSVILLE MAN
 GOING ID BRAZIL
Captain Coleman Appointed
 Military Attache
ELKS ELECT OFFICERS
Complaints Lodged Against Methods Resorted to by Certain Agents to Sell Lighting Rods-Forty-
 Three True Bills Returned

Huntsville, March 11.-tSpecial)-
 Mrs. LeVert Coleman, who is visiting
 her mother in this city, has received
 a telegram announcing the appointment
 of her husband, Capt. LeVert Coleman,
 United States army, as military at
 taehe of the United States embassy at Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Captain Cole man, who is a native of this city, will visit here during the present month and about the first of April he and Mrs, Coleman will sail from New York for Brazil.
 Captain Coleman has won rather
 unique distinction that will last proh- ably for many years. He was the ar illery officer who commended the dynamite squad at San Francisco dur ing the great fire following the earth quake and destroyed more valuable buildings with dynamite than any man in all history He and his squad were working ahead of the fire and blowing lup buildings as u means of preventing the complete destruction Of the city.
 Officers for the Huntsville lodge of Elks have been chosen for the ensuing year as follows: Joseph ]. Bradley, exalted ruler; Robert A. Moore, es- teemed leading knight; James C. Me- Donald esteemed featuring knight; Fred Karthaus, esteemed loyal knight; lH C. Pollard, secretary: Claud Davis. | treasurer; Frank IL Ford, trustee; Walter Hummel, tiler; Walter l.. Humphrey, representative to the grand lodge at Portland, Ores and M. A. Shields alternate.
 Many complaints have been lodged with the authorities here against the methods employed by agents of a Gin
 cinnati firm of lightning rod manufac- tnrers who have defrauded people in several precincts out of large sums of
 money.
 The alleged swindle is made possible | by the failure of the victims to read the papers that they are required to sign, and as a consequence the alleged
 swindlers are beyond the law. The first agent. it is said, makes an at tractive proposition to the prospective customer and tells him that he will equip his house or barn with light
 ming rods at a cost of from $10 to SIP and that after five years the company will send another man around to see that the equipment Is still in good con dition. The victim agrees to purchase and Is asked to sign contract. iilu den in the contract in very small type is clause fixing the rate of wiring the house at 47 cents a foot. After a few days an installer comes around eauips the house or barn, and gets an | acknowledgement of satisfactory work Later an agent goes around with the original contracts and asks for a par tial cash payment and notes for tht 1 balance, the stimf in all cases being
 exhorbitant The victims have kicked powerfully, but many of them have
 been frightened into paying the agents demands. More than a thousand dol
 lars has been collected in this manner
 in one precinct during the last few
 weeks.
 The grand jury of the law and equity | court has made a partial report to Judge Ballentiue, returning AZ true
 bills The jury is said to be about half
 through with its business and will finish about Saturday.
 Robert Crumrlne and Elon Snyder
 two boys under 6 years old who were
 recently arrested on charges of burg
 lary, have been sent to tho state re- form school al East Lake.