The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-03
SWEARS HE'S KIMMEL
Convict Whites Deposition in Famous
Insurance Case Is Filed.

st. Louis, May 3.-Attorneys for the
New York Life Insurance company
have filed in the circuit court in St
Louis the deposition of a convict in the
Auburn, n. Y, state prison. The con-
vict, Andrew J. White, declares he is
George A. Kimmel, cashier of the
Farmers State bank of Arkansas City,
Kansas, who disappeared more than
ten years ago.
The witness graphically tells a story
of being drugged in Kansas City and
imprisoned in an Olive street rooming
house in ST. Louis for three weeks.
The convict's identity as Kimmel is
denied by his relatives, who are sueing
for insurance on his life KimmeI has
already been declared dead by the st.
cult of appeals has declared the evil
dence insufficient and the Judgment
against the insurance Company was
reversed. The case is to be tried anew
in st. Louis. Shortly after insuring his
life for $25,000 in 1898 in favor of his
sister. Mrs. Edna x. Bonslett, Kimmel
disappeared from Arkansas City. De-
tectives followed him to Topeka and
Kansas City, but no further trace of
him was found until White. an inmate
of a New York asylum for the criminal
insane, three years ago declared him
self to be Kimmel. He was later pro-
nounced sane and transferred to Au-
burn.
Covers ZOO Pages.
KimmePs deposition consists of 700
typewriter pages, throughout which
he endeavors to identify himself as
Kimmel His explanation of his dis
appearance is that a relative was i'm
plicated in the embezzle1nent of 500 600
from the Pacific Express company and
that he had damaging evidence against
him. He declares the relative and 9TH
ers caused him to be drugged and kept
prisoner in ST. Louis.
kimmal tells of leaving Arkansas City,
July &c. 1898. and going to Topeka, Kan,
to dispose of some county bonds. Trans
acting that business he went to the
Midland hotel in Kansas City. There
he said he received a message from the
relative asking him to meet him. The
message was delivered by a man named
eral months before in Kansas City.
kimmel entered a cab with Hartman
A cigar which Hartman gave him made
him dizzy, and when they entered a
room after short cab ride, he found
his leative and several other persons
present. He drank a glass of liquor
lost consciousness and awoke in a
strange room which he afterwards
learned was in ST. Louis, near Six
teenth and Olive streets.
Beaten on the Street.
He was kept there under Hartman
guard for three weeks and when he
escaped was beaten on the street by
the relative and the latter's friends.
Kimmel says he awakened from the
second encounter in a hospital, remain
ed there several months and left St
Louis in the spring of 1899. going tc
Cincinnati and Philadelphia
The suit in which the deposition was
taken was that of the receiver of the
First National bank of Niles, Mich.
against the New York Life Mrs. Bons-
lett had assigned the insurance policies
to the receiver of the bank.
While the convict. White, declares he
is Kimmel. kimmel's sister. Mrs Bons.
lett, insists the man is not her brother
The attorneys of the insurance com.
pany contend White is KimmeI and thai
an attempt was being made to defrau6
the insurance company.
The deposition will play more i'm.
portant part, as in It every detail OF
Kimmels life from the time he was &
boy in Niles. Mich. until his disappear
ance from Arkansas City was gone into
The man vas required to give the nam
of the old swimming hole ard the nam,
of the pond where ne skated when
boy. He was required to tell most min
ute details of his relations, socially ant
in business, i'll every city in which h,
! had lived