Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-02-28
Claude KimbreII, for Two Years
a Fugitive, Surrenders to
Kansas City Police.
CONFESSES TO BEING
HUNTED EMBEZZLER
To Answer to the Charge of
Shortage of $1,000 While
Employed Here.

His conscience tearing at his vitals
triumphant over his fear of punish
ment and effective where sleuths am.
the police of three countries had failed
Claude Kimbrell we'll known Atlanta
boy. finally driven to desperation. has
surrendered himself to the police of
Kansas City to answer to crime COM
mitted two long years ago
Kimbreil, driven by the fear of pris-
on walls, wandering far from even the
outposts OF civilization, ever haunted
by the small still voice that, night
and day, sang his requiem, walked into
end said:
I'm tired of lodging my shadow.
The hand of heaven his conscience,
had driven him to full confessional. He
could have escaped. Police had de-
serted his trail. But the unstilled soul
! refused him peace
Fought Conscience Two Years.
For "a months KimbrelI fought back
the call of his inner self. During that
weary time he tramped from coast to
coast, from New orleans to Panama,
to Mexico, and finally eastward to Kan
sas City, where the haunting thing. de-
nying him sleep and rest. finally drove
him to surrender and full acknowledg-
ment of his wrongdoing.
Kimbrell. formerly a salesman for the
A. Med. Wilson Grocery Company. will
be brought back to Atlanta at once to
answer a charge Of shortage in his &C
counts totaling a trife more than 81 200.
Kmbrell's trouble, it is alleged, are
due to his promscuous relationship
with women. A close friend of the ar
rested man said today that an Atlanta
woman was really at the bottom Of his
difficulties.
For years this woman bled Kimbrell
systematically" said this friend today.
"She demanded more money than KIM
brell was earning. Several times he
dipped into the firms cash TO supply
her with the luXuries that she de-
manded. Twice Kimbrell was allowed
to pay back his shortages in INSTALL
ments.
kimbreI Turns Wanderer.
1.-TWO years ago he suddenly dis
appeared. He was out on a trip. No
word came from him, but his sample
case was received by his firm from an
obscure express office near New Or
leans, some time later.
Then word was received that Kim
brell was in Panama. Investigation,
| which quickly followed, proved that
Kimbrell had left the Canal Zone a
few months before the news of his
being there was received.
1T is believed he then wandered up
the Pacific coast, through Mexico, into
San Francisco, and finally drifted east
to Kansas City. where he became man
ager Of a quick lunch eating place"
His surrender yesterday came as a
complete surprise to his friends here.
Gives Himself Up.
Kimbrell if is said. walked into the
| Kansas city police station yesterday
I'm Claude Kimbrell. of Atlanta, Ga,
| he said. 81 am tired Of lodging my
shadow. I've been at the game two
short in my accounts with the \. Med.
Wilson Grocery Company, of Atlanta,
and l want you to telegraph and find
out what they propose to do with me"
Kimbrel said he had been with the
firm since he was a boy. He worked
himself up to be travelling salesman,
he said. and was doing well.
Then l got in bad company" he
said. "One day while ] was on the road
message came that was short.
Rather than go back and face it out,
kept on going But ! felt like ! was
hunted all the time I'm sick of It,"
Kimbrell says he had been in Kansas
! city five months part Of the time as
manager of small restaurant in the
downtown district. He was detained
and a message was at once sent to
| the Atlanta police department.
officials of the grocery concern to-
| day confirmed kimbreil's statement to
the Kansas City police. and declared
tIat his arrest came az their formcr
| sa.r-uans own initiative.