I look undisturbed, will be drowned in the plaudits of those who, hav-
ing known me best, trusted and loved me most; to whose partial affec-
tion and strong sense of justice I owe more than I can express.
                                             THOMAS F. HARGIS.
  FRANKFORT, June Io, 1879.
  And defendant says he did mean and intend to apply to this plaintiff
the language complained of and set out in his (plaintiff's) petition.
But defendant says he had a right in law, to compose, write, and cause
to be published as aforesaid, the said ccnrmunicaticn, arid especially the
words, language, and statements ccrnplained of; bccause he says said
language, words and statements, and in fact all the statements con-
tained in said communication are true, and were true when pub-
lished.
  He says the charge that he, defendant, was not eligible to said office
of Circuit Judge in 1874 was based upon the further charge, made by
plaintiff, "That he (defendant) did not receive his license until the
26th of August, I866," and " that the pretended date upon it is a
forgery." when in point of fact he, defendant, was eligible to said
office, and did receive his license before the 26th of August, i866,
and before the ist of May, r866, and the date of his said license, to-
wit: the 26th of February, i866, is not a forgery, but is genuine, and
all these facts were well known to plaintiff in 1874 and before May,
1879, and at the times he (plaintiff) composed and wrote and published
said charges.
  And defendant says that the charge that he mutilated, or caused to,
be m utilated. the records of the Circuit and County Courts of Rowan
county, or of either of said Courts, for the purpose of destroying the
evidence of his supposed want of eligibility, or to establish his (defend-
ant's) claim that he was eligible to the said office of Circuit Judge, or
for any other purpose whatever, was and is false and was known so to
be by plaintiff in 1874 and in May, 1879, when he composed, pub-
lished, and circulated the same. And he says further that those who'
made and circulated the said charges, of want of eligibility on the part
of defendant, and of the mutilation of the records of the Courts of
Rowan county, and especially this plaintiff who knew said charges,
and each of them, to be false, were and are "wilful calumniators," and
this he, the defendant, is ready to verify.
  Wherefore he prays judgment; that said petition be dismissed, and
for his costs and all proper relief.
                                        W. L)NDSAV,
                                        HENRY L. STONE,
                                        W. C. P. BRECKINRIDGa,
                                        A. E   RICHARDS:
                                        M. MUNDY,
                                        R. W. WOOLLEY.
  The defendant, Thomas F. Hargis, says the statements of this answer
are true.                                    THOMAS F. HARGIS.
  Subscribed and sworn to before me by Thomas F. Hargis, this 9th
day of July, 1879, in Jefferson county, Kentucky.
                                JOHN B. BASKIN, N. P. J. C. KY.
  A copy.-Attest: JNo. S. CAIN, C. J. C. C. P.



120



PrF.N DIX.