Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-02-03
To the Public.

A i ttement OF FACTS and circumstances
relative to my late failures, and reiata-
ton If such Of the charges against ne as
had come to my knowledge, when publi-
cation signed James English, appeared in
the Alexandra Gazette, giving them cha
racier and form that required more paril-
cular notice at my hands-not on account
OF the name 0l the Ostensibie dutnor, VINO,
Iconsider entitled 10 STD much credit only,
as uay result to him { ON the circumstance
of SUBSCRIBING his name to it--for if mss-
take not, | can see in this publication the
haai Of "a man whose malevolent heart, has
hong since sought TOR an opportunity to in.
jure me, and one would suppose ne might
have found sufficient triumph in my down
fall without pursuing me in adversely with
such 6end-liks disposition. Ough, notper-
haps to regret it, as IL will aifori ME AIS OPP.
rortunity Of exposing more particularly the
business OF those Who have made charges a
psinst me, which might have remained I'M
con radicteti, because unknown 10 me bat
for mis- circumstance. profess neither 10
be Indifferent, or slave, to the opinions Ut
the world but to those who have known
me in better times, and the few who have
experienced The confidence and friendship
of in my darkest days of adversely, | ac-
knwiedge | feel desire TO retain their
good opinion-to those th,s address is par
ticularly directed.
In the month of May, 1916, the date of
my first failure, fin by reference to an
exhibit then made to my creditors, that my
deb;s amounted to about $4,000 dollars,
AMI my means OF paying them a little up
Il AZ Il nj
merch1ndize, debts and property, winch |
propose to surrender to my creditors, but
owing to my friends pressing me to call
meeting of them before was in a ~itua-
tion to prepare statement OF my losses, or
had collected the materials for doing it, no
arrangement was then made, another Cause
had It's influence III preventing time of
nv largest creditors refused to attend my
meeting tor that purpose-urging as rea-
so, that he would not consent to my ar
rangement in consequence my having Sc
cured nv endorsers. A little time passed
over, and | began 10 collect AMI arrange
the materials necessary for statement of
snylosses, which wasprepared in the month
OF June, and soon alter majority OF my
creditors bothin Number and amount agreed
10 receive their dividend which was esti-
mated at 90 cents in the dollar for ordinary
debts. after satisfying confidential claims
to very large amount.
Il is unnecessary and would perhaps he
improper to conceal the name of my most
vindictive fi,e on this occasion--it is no ..
ther than Charles |. Catlett, who instituted
suits against me for very large amount
marked with considerable hostility by OBJ
jecting to my bail, the object OF which
could not be misunderstood the design,
however. proved abortive, as my bail soUn
removed the difficulty by swearing he was
gt,od for the amount, others soon followed
the example, and by this time it became
pretty evident that all expectations of a
compromise were at an end, and under the
advice OF SOM OF my friends winch accord
ed with my own opinion, lopeDed my store
with a view to dispo e OF my goods IN the
hes, terms could, as well as to afford me
EN- hoy nent. The prospect before me
was dreary one aud soon became rest
less. and determined on takinga course
that would relieve NE at once from further
anxiety on the subject, which was to divide
the balance of nav means among such OF my
creditors as had before given me evidence
of disposition to release me. accord
ingly addressed notice TO each ct my Gre
ditors who still held out stating my inten-
ton. This determination on my part pro-
duced not a little sensibiliiy on theirs. A
compromise was soon proposed on the part
of nv largest creditors, but the terms being
inadmissable, it was rejected il was ur-
ged again and again With considerable in.
genuity and address--ny fears and hopes
were alternately excited; the fufmsr with
the approximations Of dragging out mise
rable existence in loathso,ne Jail, and the
latter by the most pleasing antieipatious OF
eventually getting through all my dittlcul-
ties. Thus was beguled into compro-
mise as fatal in its consequences, as twas
wicked in its design. In the month OF
Nov. 1916, conditional arrangement was
entered into, tbe final ratification OF which
depended on contingencies difficult to
manage. MONTH after month passed OF
in fIuitless attempts to arrange The contin-
gencies nat length It was partially effected,
and was urged for .ompliance-by tins
time my affairs had undergone an uniavo-
ra5'e change, and 10 a greater extent tnan
| was aware OF. | had lost considerably
on -four. and had on hand a large amount
of Merchants Bank paper that cost me %
cents the dollar in cash, and from 80 TO 40
cents in goods. j was led into this error
by the advice of friend connected with
that institution, who induced me to believe
it would ultimately pay every dollar call
ed tor by the notes NY this time, my mer-
chandize on hand had deprecated TO an a.
farming extent, but as | was pledged for
the performance of the compromise, and il
then depended solely on my will, ratii-
cation took place late in September Or ear
" in October, 1917. In arranging the
payments, | was completely Overreached