The weekly standard., 1870-08-03
For the Standard.

MIR. EDIToR.-In your issue of the 10Th
ult., in an editorial paragraph headed An
the Honesty" you make most wanton and
unjust attack on my private character. The
paragraph In question states that ''Dr. Chas.
j. O'Hagan, Conservative candidate for
Congress in the End District, some time ago
borrowed money from one Theophilus Bland
guardian of lunatic, for the purpose of
completing the education of medical stu
dent. By taking advantage of legal tech
nicality, to-wit: that the name of the obli-
gee was inserted after the signing of the
deed, he gets clear of paying the debt, and
the loss falls heavily on poor lunatic" l
pronounce the above statement untrue.
Now for the facts. In the early part of
the year 1860, DR.. Titus Hart at this time
practicins physician of Trenton, Jones
county, n. c., then second course" med
ical student in the city of New York, wrote
home to his friends in Pitt county, to assist
him in paying for his tickets, and obtaining
his diploma. Eight of them responded to
the call, viz: B. G. Albritton. ]. ]. Cherry,
G. A. Dancy, J. J. Parker, w. w. Haddock,
T. E. Nelson, G. A. Cox and C. ]. O'Hagan.
We signed Il note with him for three hun
dred dollars. He got the money, but 1
never knew from whom, till suit was insti-
tuted against me in 1867. for the payment
Of the debt. At that time proposed d
compromise TO Bland l offered him
note for $125 and $25 in money, as my part
of the debt. He admitted the note to be
good; but declined my proposition 1t was
renewed time and time again, and us often
rejected. In the meantime, G. w. Cox,
who had also offered to pay 500 of the
debt, discovered, on examination, that the
note had been tampered with, and the word
guardian interlined, thereby changing it
from simple to compound interest bear
ing note. As Bland refused to compromise,
and threw himself on his legal rights, we
abided the issue, which Was, as might have
been expected; but at no time, either during
the litigation of the case, nor since the de-
cision 10y the Supreme Court, have refused
to pay my share of the debt.
The principal to The note is still living.
He got the entire benefit of the money.
Five of the suretics besides myself are still
living and all except one equally or better
able than myself to pay his share of the
debt. Why, then, saddle me with all the
responsibility. Why attach the stigma of
dishonor to my name2 am poor man,
and live by my labor. never com mprumised
a debt Of my own. but discharged them all,
principal and interest to the last farthing.
returned from Appomattox Courthouse
in 1865, without IL cent, and have been hard
at work ever since to pay the debts of my
friends and support my family. And no
man until now, has dared to cast shadow
of suspicion against my integrity. You
have now the facts hetnre you, and de-
mand that you withdraw the charge of
dishonesty against me.
am, sir, your most obedient servant,
CHAS. JAS. O'HAGAN.
STATEMENT BY LEWIS HILLIARD, ATTORNEY,
was the attorney for DR.. C. ]. O'Hagan
and G. W. Cox in the suit Bland, guardian,
&C., referred to in the Standard paper of
10Th inst, and am cognizant of all other
facts relating ther.tu. The facts as stated
by DR.. O'Hagan in the above communica-
ton, SO far as they relate to the alteration
or interlineation of the "bond"-the offers
of compromises-the condition of the sign
ers of the bond or supposed bond, &C., are
correctly set forth.
l have known DR.. O'Hagan intimately
since the year 1859, and while l admit
that politically, he is an extremist, yet in
every other respect, he is a high-toned, hon
orabIe and kind hearted gentleman, and
none stands higher socially or professionally
Your Friend, LEWIS HILLIARD.