The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-07
BIC CASE
KimmeI Lawyers Tell Jurors of
Their Contention.
Insurance Attorney Claims to
Have New Witness.

st. Louis, Feb. Outlining to the
Kimmel jury today the first efforts
to establish the identity of the pres
ent claimant as the missing George
A. Kimmel, Attorney Frederick H.
Bacon said:
This reveals q. plot. There will be
much said in this trial about plots"
Bacon, attorney for the receiver of
the Niles, Mich, bank, which is suing
an insurance company for Kimmel's $
insurance referred to Andrew ].
White, the former New York convict,
who the defense contends is kimmel
as the claimant" White, according
to BacOn's statement to the jury. was
first discovered June %. 1899, eleven
months after Kimmel disappeared in
Kansas City Bacon called the jurors
attention to the fact that kimmel at
that time would have been 80 years
old and that White had stated to the
prison authorities he was 81. The
claimant had blue eyes and Kimmel
had dark brown eyes according to the
attorney.
Differences in the teeth. weight,
height and marks on the body also
were called to the jury's attention.
The trip of White to Niles, Mich, af
ter his release from prison last Sep
tenn Der was narrated. Bacon said
White did not recognize any of Kim
mels boyhood acquaintances.
Edward O'Bryan, of the counsel for
the Insurance company, then outlined
his side Of the case and What he eN-
poets to prove. His preliminary state
ment agreed to Kimmels early his
tory with that already made to the
Jury by the PLAINTIFFS attorney. An
drew ]. Hunt, a former Omaha neigh
Dor of Kimmel was named as a new
and important witness by O'Bryan-
Hunt, he said, would be used as a wit
ness for the plaintiff.
Tte,- -f1.fr, f17ea frr . +.
said O'Bryan. take great interest In
keeping Kinmel dead.
1--WE also show that Kimmel had
good reasons for disa ppearing. He
owed $50, 900 on paper that was about
to fall due and all he had in the way
of assets was $1,000 worth of stock IN
his own bank at Arkansas City, Kan.
when Kimmel disappeared he had
s11O in the bank but that very day
he borrowed So. ? 90 on his personal
note A short TIME before that he haa
borrowed $2,500 on note OF the
Farmers Mill and Elevator company,
a dummy corporation he had organ
O;Brian in closing his statement
painted a vivid word picture OF the
finding of the claimant in Matteawan-
1T was in 1905 we heard of pris-
ouer in Matteawan who claimed to De
George A. Kimmel." he said ION in
vestigatiOn in May, 1905, we found a
near-wreck of humanity who hau
cares troubles, sickness and scares
and was wounded and bruised both in
body and in mind. When he stood up
and put his feet on the moor ana smut
his eyes he would fall down. He was
physically and mentally DISQUALIFIED.
s'He was a man who had suffered
some wonderful tragedy He sat
wit hhis head in his hands ana moan
ed. A scar on the back of his neck
Indicated that at some time his head
had almost been severed. He had de-
pressions on the skull in two places
and his left thumb had been ampu-
tated. But he still answered to the
name of Mandax and of George A.
Kimmel"
The talking of testimony it Is ex-
pected will begin at once