The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-28
Claimant viii Demand $4,000
From Arkansas City People.
Estate, Declared Been Spent in
Search, Is Sought.
! HIS STORY ALTERED
Denies He Got $500 From Mid
land Hotel Night Cashier.
Suit Will Follow Attempt to
Pay Him Insurance.

Arkansas City -ept. 2S.-The man
who says he is George 4. Kimmel the
missing Kansas banker, intends to lay
claim to the estate he alleges he lefe
here when he disappeared in July 1898
k1mmel was cashier of the Farmers
bank of Arkansas City. After his dis
appearance it was found that his inter
est in the bank and other property here
amounted to SIS, 900.
1t is said that all of this sum was
spent in the search for Kimmel, $5, 900
going for the printing and mailing of
circulars bearing KimmePs picture and
description These were sent to all
parts of the world. The remainder OF
the money was spent in paying detec-
tives to search for him.
Now there arises the interesting legal
question of whether, if the man is Kim
mel, he has right to recover from the
bank the estate he left in it when he
disappeared. A lawyer says he can.
If this suit is tried in Arkansas City
it will be one of the most interesting
lawsuits ever tried in Kansas, for 1t
will be stubbornly contested, principal
ly upon the ground that the man is not
Kimmel.
If the man sues to recover his estate
from the Arkansas City bank, or from
individuals who were officers and di-
rectors of the bank at that time, the
bank or they may retaliate by filing
suit~against him to recover the $500
which Kfmmel got on a draft from his
bank through the American National
bank of Kansas City, and which was
handed him by Miss Harriet Wiley.
cashier of the Midland hotel the even
ing he disappeared.
That the mysterious Kimmel claim
ant expects such action and is prepar-
ing to defeat it if it is brought is
shown by the manner in which he has
altered his story about that $500.
Now Contradicts Draft Story.
10 o1aiF Mt rxv17i Ia in T17-icC f,, A
burn, N. Y, and while in the hospital
for the criminal insane in Matteawan,
always told that he got that money. He
repeated that story many times.
Last Friday in Niles, Mich, the man
was asked by reporter:
why was it that you telephoned
from Topeka to Mr.. Dominick, cashier
of the American National bank, to
draw that $500 from your bank and
leave it for you with the clerk at the
Midland hotel? What did you intend
to do with that money!
''I did not telephone Mr.. Dominick or
anyone else" was the quick answer.
well, who did then? Dominick says
it was you
Il don't know who did. but it was
some one who initiated my voice.
And you didn't get that money?'
mo, sir, did not. never got it or
saw it or knew of it until I had recov-
cred my reason in the asylum in Mat
teawan.''
The Kfmmel claimant in Niles will be
paid 50, 100 in March by the New York
Life Insurance company. This is on a
policy which will mature at that time.
Edward O'Bryan, western attorney for
the New York Life Insurance company,
said to a reporter in Chicago that his
company had already announced to
Kimmel that it would pay him this
81, 100 in March.
But said Mr.. O'Bryan, attorneys
IL
already lodged with the New York Life
Insurance company a claim to that
money upon the theory that Kimmel is
dead and that the man in Niles is an
impostor. So there will be another in
teresting lawsuit. We, of course, are
ready to pay the money to Kinmel. for
we have no doubt that the man in Niles
is he"