The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-08
SINPLE-MINDED PARENTS.
They Accept a Daughters Remark
able story.


From Saturdays New York Herald.
Little Gertrude Turecek has deceived her
trusting parents by telling them an i'm.
possible story. To obtain money from her
father she told him she wanted it to re-
lieve the financial embarrassment or
President Mckinley. Not content with
thus drawing upon her imagination she
told him she had met the President, and
that he had taken liking to her. She
obtained $3.50 from her father who is
thus ractically ruined, so far as this
worlds goods are concerned.
Gertrude lives with her parents on the
third floor of No. 232 East Thirtieth street.
Her father is a jOurneyman tailor who,
by years of toll and the exercise of great
frugality, had saved $l,400. Until three
months ago. he lived in a tenement in
East Twenty-sixth street, laboring from
daybreak until midnight that. he might
earn enough to support his family and
put by a little each week in the bank
Gertrude is his only child and his affec-
tons and those of his wife conferred IN
her. Her honesty or veracty We're never
Questioned until a few days ago. She at
tended school regularly, and to all an
pearances was a podel child. Gertrude
witnessed the grand parade and saw the
President. The gorgeous uniforms evil
IDENTIFY played pranks with her childish
imagination, for a few days later she hur-
ried to her mother and narrated a re-
markable story of having met President
Mckinley, who, she said. had invited her
to call upon him at the Windsor hotel
Turecek and his wife knew little of the
world beyond their front door They
placed implicit trust i'm the child They
had spent great deal of money on her
musical education, and when she told them
one day that Mr.. Mckinley wanted her to
play for him they believed her.
From time to time she prevailed upon
her father to give her money in various
amounts up to 500, telling him ii was for
the President, who had asked her to get
money for him, as he did not want to pay
his bills In checks While in the city. In
point of fact, the President had long be-
fore left the city, but her parents did
not know it,
The girl said the President would give
her father a government position in re-
turn for the money. She said Mr.. Nc
Kinley would call upon them If they would
move into better quarters, and they did
so.
In all, Mr.. Turecek gave his child 81, 250.
He became suspicious recently and learn
ed that Gertrude had not been to school
for two days. and that President Mckin-
ley had not been in the city since the
spring. He questioned the child, and she
confessed that all the flowers and trink-
cts which she said Mrs. Mckinley had
presented to her she had bought
She purchased a bicycle, a tricycle., dia-
mond rings and many other things that
pleased her fancy. spending probably over
$500 She cannot or viii not account for
the balance. Gertrude's parents are heart
broken over her conduct, and Mrs. Ture-
eek is Frustrated with grief. The child
does not appear to realize the enormity of
her act. She was as happy yesterday as
though nothing out of the ordinary had
happened. She does not understand that
her poor father is financially ruined and
that she had been the cause of It,