Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-10-21
A Noble HOd Carrier-ROmantic
Adventure of an Austrian


How often has it been said and
written that "Truth is stranger than
iction," and every day further veri
les and corroborates the axiom.
The elements Of 1actual romance
oervade everything around US. and
event and accident sometimes give
birth to occurrences and incidents
that seem truly astonishing. Every
day men become richer and men
become poorer. With one fash of
the telegraph hundreds are ruined,
and, consequently. Others become
But, it is not our pur
pose, at present, to deal with gen
eralities and sr EQUATIONS, but to
narrate, as accurately as possible,
an event that has startled our Ger
man citizens from their usual pro
priety, and caused them even, for a
time, to forget their local church
feud.
On Thursday afternoon last, Col.
Carr, the postmaster, received a
heavy sealed document at his office,
postmarked "Vienna," and directed
to ''Herr Carl Won Vechter, Gales
burg, Knox county, State of
Illinois, United States of North
America. Knowing that the mas
sive letter must be of Importance
from its crested seal and general
official appearance, he dispatched
Mr.. William Post, chief clerk of the
office, insearch of the Herr Won
Vechter. Mr.. Post made diligent
inquiry of several, but could not
find any trace of the individual
wanted, until he met with Mr.. John
Loos, the well-known saloon keeper
on the east side of the square. Mr..
Loos knew a Charley Vechter; he
was working on the new hotel build
ing, and both walked over there,
where they found Vechter about to
uscend ladder with hod on his
shoulder. When Mr.. Post handed
him the letter, and he had read it,
the delight of the holman knew no
bounds. He threw his hod full OF
brick away, and embraced Mr.. Loos,
calling him his dearest friend. The
letter contained draft for $7,OOC
on the First National Bank Of Chi
cago, and he insisted on paying Mr.
Post $500 for being the bearer Of
such Joyful tidings as the document
contained which. of course, MIR
Post refused. ea-l
This morning, Herr Won Vechter
arrayed in q suit of fashionable
clothing, and having passed through
the hands Of the barber, called al
our Office, in company with Captain
Henry Heinrich, an attache Of the
Free Press establishment. No one
could recognize in the noble look
ing parsonage before us the ex-hoe
carrier His manly and command
|; ing appearance attracted general at
tention and remark, and the east
and suavity of his manners were tru
, ly remarkable. He clearly and sue
cinctly related to US the eventfu
chain of incidents in his career
which terminated in his carrying {
hod in Galesburg. In the yea
1859. Herr Won Vechter, being
then nineteen years old, and of
noble family, entered the Austrian
army as lieutenant, and, through
, regular gradutions, in 1850 rose tt
, the rank of Major. In the montl
of September of that year he wa
: insulted ata levee, by the Colone
of his regiment. Proud and high
| spirited. he resented the insult ant
a challenge was passed between th'
two officers. They met-pistols a
ten paces-and the colonel fell
With great difficulty Vechter elude'
, the authorities, and at length escap
ed to England. There he remained
but short time, and finding NJ
suitable employment, he embarked
for the United States, and upon hi
arrival proceeded to Chicago. HI
arrived there the day the intelli
gence OF the fall of Fort Sumptel
flashed through the country, and biz
means being nearly exhausted, h
enlisted in the 9th Illinois, then be
ing organized. The man who hat
worn the epaulets of an Austrian OF
: ficer, for more than three years car.
ried musket in the ranks of tha
battalion, and was severely wounded
at the battle of Pittsburg Landing
When he was mustered out, he oh
tanned employment of various kinds
Hand endured many vicissitudes Incl
dent to the lot Of a laboring man
| He feared to write to his relatives
as the Austrian government nigh
loarn his whnreahnuts and cause his