Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-09-29
MOTHER DENIES MAN
IS REALLY her SON
George Kimmel, Elk Convict,
Persists in His Claim to
That Identity.

Niles, Mich, Sept. 21.-Still claim
Ing to be the son of Mrs Estella
Kimmel, but denounced by her as an
impersonator of her son. for whose
death she received insurance money,
the man who came from the Auburn,
n. Y, penitentiary and was identified
by scores of people as George Alfred
Kimmel.
"Kimmel," who says he disappeared
IL years ago, n now returns after
$4,000 life insurance has been paid
Mrs. Kimmel for his death. said he
had no motive in returning except
love for his mother.
II do not want to cheat anyone of
the $4,000 more life insurance which
my relatives would receive If they
could prove / am dead" said Kimmel.
But 1 am not dead. After being
knocked on the head in what ap-
peared TO be an attempt to put me
out Of business, after being sent to
the Auburn p~enitentiary for five years
on a charge of stealing Is cents and
after otherwise being so badly treated
that ny mind is almost zone, / de-
sired to come home.
Can't Pretend Forever.
1T was impossible for me to pre-
tend for the rest of my life that I
was dead just so that somebody could
enjoy $4,000. If my mother will not
TScOSIlLe lie, Il Will force lGT To- My
friends here know I'm the real George
Kimmeu. So does my mother know
I'm not an impostor.
When | disappeared from home 13
years age, undoubtedly my family did
think / vas dead. Seven years later
my mother proved in court that there
was evidence to show / was dead, One
insurance company promptly paid her
$4,000, but another company, holding a
$4,000 policy appealed, n said they
would locate me. They did find me In
jail. Then my mother heard of 1T, but
she refused to change her position.
Says She Recognized Him.
-Four years ago they brought us
face to face in Auburn prison. My
mother appeared not TO recognize me.
While we were talking, the guards
stepped aside and / whispered in my
mothers ear:
"'What am I to call you If not
mother?' She looked at me in silence.
and then whispered; When we are
alone call me mother
THAT was an outburst of mothel
love which she could not suppress
Afterwards she appeared to regret it.
/ wonder whether the impulse will re-
assert itself Of whether, while ae6now-
lodged by my friends am forever to
be disowned by my mother"
"kimmel' today was still at the
home OF Mrs. Harry T. Fox, who
recognized him as a ousin He said
his mother would have TO call on him
if she wanted to see him.
Police Chief Doubts Him.
This man is not "Kfmmel," de-
clared Chief of Police George Francis
today, after a conference with the new
| conner. II went to school with Kim
mel, and would know him well. When
I asked this man my name he could
not tell.
He told me of only having a fight
here with a man who is now promi-
nent, but / find on investigation that
no such fight took place. What the
object of this ma is in masqueradins
as Kimmel / do not know. But I'm
sure he is under no hallucination. He
knows he is not Kimmel."
Several other residents also ex-
| pressed doubt as to the man being
Kimmel. At the same time, Mrs. Fox,
who accepts "Kimmel' as a cousin,
says she is convinced of his identity.
1t was arranged to take "Kimmel"
about the city today to see whether he
could recognize local landmarks.