Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 January 1901 — Little Girl Burglar. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Little Girl Burglar.

The authorities of Milwaukee have recently had to deal with a most astonishing case. Little Gertrude Gehritz, a pretty girl of 10. with wide blue eyes and yellow hair.was brought into court charged with burglary. It was proved

that the child had. unaccompanied and unassisted, broken into the house of Dr. J. H. Huennekens in the dead of night and - had stolen and carried away the clothing of the doctor’s little daughter, who is about the same age. Later, it appeared, Gertrude ran away from home and slept for several in the basement of a neighbor’s house, her whereabouts being entirely unknown to her par-

ents. Her mother, who is a woman of respectability, was in court with the child, and pleaded that her “baby” be not taken away from her. The evidence was so strong, however, and there seemed so little chance of her father and mother having any influence over her that the judge reluctantly sent her to the industrial school. The little girl seems to be entirely void, of the natural fear which would keep an ordinary child from going abroad -alone at night. v The average height of the heavy raincloud is 1,680 yards; of the delicate, fleecy cirrus, 9,700 yards.

Gertrude Gehritz.