Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-12-14
Acuuitted in Two Minutes.

In the Hastings Court, on Monday, the
jury in the case of High Constable John A.
Noon, prominent Republican manager,
indicted by the grand jury for forging the
name of W. II. Taylor, a colored employe
at the Western State Hospital here, to an
order for a transfer of registration, brought
in verdict of not guilty in two minutes
after the case was given them. 1t appear
ed from the evidence that the whole prose-
cution originated in mistake caused by
the existence Of two colored w. III. Taylors
instead of only one, and from the fact that
in the heat and suspicious prevailing at
hotly contested election there was little
communication and no explanations be-
tween men Of opposing parties. Suspicion
was directed to Mr.. Noon by the fact that
he presented to the Registrar postal card
written by himself and signed with w. II.
Taylor's name, mailed at Lovingston. The
following facts regarding it were proven in
the evidence. All the parties named being
put on the stand.
Mr.. Noon and several gentlemen from
Staunton were delegates to the Buckingham
Congressional Convention held last July.
They travelled to the convention in private
conveyance, and stopped a short time In
lane near Lovingston on their way to Buck
ingham G. H., to eat a lunch. w. II. Tay-
lor, a colored man Of Lovingston came to
them. In the course of a conversation,
Ia ylor told the party that the last time he
voted was in Stanton, and that he had not
had his registration transferred to Lovings-
ton, although he had been there two years..
MI. Noon told him if he would address
him a note to Staunton as reminder and
as authority for getting his transfer. he
would attend to it when he returned to his
home. It was suggested that MI. Noon
then write a postal card and address it to
himself at Staunton, for Taylor to sign.
Not being ableto write, Taylor, in the pres
ence of three or four gentlemen, authorized
Noon to sign his name to the card and
mailed it.
On his return to the city, Mr. Noon found
that W. II. Taylor was registered in the
First Ward and presented his postal card
as his authority to have transfer made
out for LOyingston district. The transfer
was signed by the Registrar and Taylor's
name stricken from the books. 1t was
afterwards learned that q W. II. Taylor
lived at the Western State Hospital, and
that there was but one found Of that exact
name Oh the list. The registration paper
was not sent to Lovingston, but returned
to the Registrar with the request that w.
I'll. Taylor of Staunton, be restored to the
registration books. The w. H. Taylor Of
Lovingston, was not registered at that
place and is not now, and Noon S presump-
ton, from his statement, was that he was
on the Staunton registration.
Postmaster w. T. McCue, Registrar J.
A. Hutcheson, Col w. E. Craig. John A.
Noon and the two colored Taylors-the
Staunton one and the Lovingston one-were
all put on the stand. The evidence clearly
showed that there had been no forgery nor
attempt at it and that the whole affair
grew out OF mistake. 1t did not
take the jury, nearly all OF whom were Dem
ocrats, two minutes to return verdict of
mot guilty."