PRODIGY OF NINE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7720, 1 June 1903, Page 2

PRODIGY OF NINE.

"AMAZING ROBTOIEOrAI LITXUGIftL

The central figure in a remarkably afary of letl»f-'bpx Tpbberiw, whiijh yre§ toJ4 at If^wporb (Mo*n:) was ft dftiflty ljt^e m& of nine, named Gertrude May jSven*, who apt peaved in a white sunibonnet, and exhibited' nob a little MBuranoe of mauner, despite her innooent and tear-stained fac«.

For coma time rnaafc the officjftl* pf the Metropolitan Bank and the solicdtor* and other profeaaional nien having offloeu afr'ihe Midland Bank Chambers have been bewildered 'by an extraordinary 'aeries of robberies, In <ma pww the bank loit a bundle of seyenty cheque*, of whioh all but ten. were subsequently found down tfc> oeilargrfttinflr of n. tradesman close hy. Thai ten are «till musing, together wjth « cheque for 4)100/ while the transfer of ft £500 mortgaffQ, which had been sent to the uniersheriff for ]he> county, was fomd on the railway line r The robberiai were eventually traced to this tiny tot, through the jneahun of tbe post office, where she had cashed stolen orders, which «he had filled in with her own name; and, oonfronted witb the charge, she Qonfewed that she had put her hand (which wa* about the Bifce of a doll'i haad) into the letfcertHMMf and »b§twoted tU con-' tent*. > ' .

Qon*id*ring that she was little uaoye than a baby, the Bench diaohajrg«d h«r, -tat »4^ ministered a oaution to her mother, observing that they felt that there wa» "somer thing behind the case." At school '%tst Gertrude bore, an exceUent cbarapter, and ■&?,^°? k "^ l°«*ed, aj jpnocent as qw of MiUais's angelt. -

For oampatitiap amon^ wJioolu, tlje I£iss baj presented a swimming challenge cwp to tihie Life Saving Society. Thirty abillinga to two pounds a,'pwjvth will buy food* fuel an 4 olothingr lor a family oi five perapnn in Japan.