Asheville daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1890-1900, 1894-06-25
WHERE IS GEORGE HECK ?
HE ONCE LIVED HERE, BUT Is
NOW EL.SEwHERE.
Heck Said He Was To Come Into
Vast Property, and Star. a..
COnsul's Letter That.
Didn't Write.


Vast Property. and STAT. u.
COnsul's Letter That.
Didn't write.
Some time in February of this year
German of the name of George Heck
came to Ashevillc to make his home. He
had the appearance OF man who lives
by the sweat of his brow, and soon made
numerous acquaintance among the
Germans here. He secured and filled a
position in the factory of the Ashevillc
Woodworking company, near the pas
senger depot.
Heck moved along in the even tenor of
his way, creating no stir aud coming
not into the public eye until a month
or so ago, when he began to circulate a
story of his coming into fortune by the
death of an uncle in the Fathcrland. The
story went from mouth to mouth and
soon all his friends had heard about it
and were congratulating him upon his
stroke of good fortune, although the cup
of Joy had mixed with it the sorrow
naturally consequent upon the death of
tavorite uncle. AS Heck told the story,
the legacy was a vast amount of prop
erty, landed estates, coin of the realm
and extensive and of course valuable silk
factories in Lyons, France.
In proof of his story, Heck. in course of
time, exhibited letter purporting to be
from Eduard Pcschau, the German con-
sui at Wilmington, N. c.. in which it was
said that the money left by Heck's uncle
to the Ashcville man, amounting to $53.
600 was in the consu's hands awaiting
the coming of the legatee to claim it..
This letter was written in German, the
envel ,pe had the Wilmington postmark
on it, was sealed with the consulate seal
and had a special delivery stamp.
Heck became an object Of interest at
once to those who got hold of the story,
among whom were several real estate
men. They became interested because of
the fact that Heck was engaged to be
he began looking over property about
the city with view to purchasing and
and building. His Gance was comcly
young German woman of very rcspecta.
bic family in Ashevile, and preparations
were begun for the wedding. 1t was to
be the most elaborate affair ever occur
ring in German circles here.
Heck meanwhile was getting ready for
his trip to Wilmington after the cash
there tor him. He took time from his
preparations, however, to pick out an
attractive spot OF several acres on the
west side OF the French Broad, for which
deeds OF conveyance were drawn, to be
passed when the suddenly
Ciusus should return with his pockets
lined with the shining metal.
Then Heck left Asheville.
This was on Friday, Iunc l, and Heck
was to go to Wilmington, get his none,
and return by the following week, ant
the wedding was to be solcmnized or
Sunday, the 10th.
A gentleman with whom Heck hat
had some business transaction received a
letter from Heck at Salisbury, saying III
had misunderstood the information as
to the railroad schedule and ther
thought he could not reach Ashevill'
before Tuesday. Another letter came tt
this gentleman. from Washington, wher,
Heck said he went to engage house
keeper, in which Heck claimed he had e
90 to New York in order to get SOM
goods from the custom house and die
not think he could get home befor'
Thursday.
And that is the last OF Heck. so far a
absolute knowledge of his doings goes
1t matters not that here fond youn,
{ heart is yearning for the object of it
affection, it matters not that friend
would be glad to see him home again
Heck is still away from Ashcville. AM
since he has been away it has bee
learned that he is indebted to some Ashe
williams in various sums, thought t
amount i'll all to between 5000 and $500
! some of it borro wed to make his trip or
and most of it borrowed from German
] who can i'll afford to lose it.
Heck's friends here are loath to bcliev
that his actions were to be set down a
n plain case of rascaity. If such wei
A the case. they argued, he might almos
:: as easily have gotten several thousan
dollars on the strength of letter al
parently as genuine as the one he po
seSscd.
9 But the supposedly genuine letter
r disposed of summarily in a letter fro
:. Consul Peschau to Postmaster ker
>. who had been asked to write an inquir
4 The letter bears date Kaiscrlich Deutscl
4 or Consulat, Wilmington. June 90" an
e one paragraph is;
v II do not know George Heck AZ
!, never had any money tor him in II
n hands. and the letter purporting to ha
!. been written by me, stating that had
large sum OF money on hand, to
delivered to him, is an Invention
This is signed by the consul and t
envclopc is sealed with the seal OF t
consulate.
10 Heck, in order to successfully work
the bogus letter, is supposed to have
OF confederate in Wilmington. The gent
in man who got letters from Heck so
=. after he left here, and who had seen t
l. alleged consul letter, remembers nc
Id that all the letters were written on idt
e- tical paper, single sheet linen. 7
v, genuine consul's letter is on double she