The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-01-07
IN THE CIRCUIT COURT

| The trial of Mr.. J. W. Akin on the
charge of forging the name of Will
Taylor is progressing in the circuit
court today. Most of the testimony
was in by noon. When court adjourn
ed for dinner Mr.. Akin was on the
stand and had about finished with his
direct testimony. The case thus far
has been hotly contested to the small
est detail by Lawyers Scofield for the
state and Burford for the defense.
| The state had as it's first witness,
| Will Taylor, a negro living in Ocala
who worked for the city some time
ago. This Will Taylor denied working
for the city during the period from
May to October 1921, and denied get
ting the money on the city warrants
issued to Will Taylor.
Mr.. John Martin testified that he
had been asked to take charge of Mr..
Akin's crew of workmen while Mr..
Akin was away on his vacation in
| September and that he failed to find
| Will Taylor at work when he looked
up the crew for the pay roll of the
previous week. He stated that he had
made considerable search for Taylor
but had been unable to locate him.
Messrs. Thomas and Dewey from
the Munroe & Chambliss National
Bank testified that they saw Mr.. Akin
sign the name of Will Taylor on the
back of the warrants in question and
cash them at the bank.
Mr.. Gordon told of trying to locate
Will Taylor through Mr.. Akin when
the latter returned from his vacation
but said that Mr.. Akin claimed that
Taylor had left few days before to
look for work picking oranges.
Clerk Sistrunk showed his pay rolls
for the time between May and Octo-
Der. The name of Will Taylor appear
ed on each roll until the week Mr..
Akin was away and then was rein
stated upon Mr.. Atkins return to the
job. That closed the case of the state.
Mr.. J. G. Bats was the first witness
for the defense. Mr.. Bats told of
seeing gingercake niger working in
the sewer in front of his house under
the direction of Mr.. Akin.
| Sam Wesley, one of the sanitary
truck drivers, testified that Mr.. Akin
had brown-skinned niger working
with him off and on from May to Sep
tember but that he did not personally
know him or his name Mr.. Scofeld
tangled Sam up a little by showing
that he had sworn slightly different
in an affidavit given to the council.
Sam also testified that he always had
Mr.. Akin endorse and cash his city
warrants for him and that it was the
custom of many of the workmen.
Mr.. E. T. Helvenston testified that
he had endorsed and cashed many
checks for Will Taylor and other of
the city's workmen. Mr.. Helvenston
said he did not know the negro other
than by name and that he would not
know him if he saw him on the street.
Dave Dickson, a negro barber, tes-
titled that he had shaved light color
ed, tall negro. who called himself viii
Taylor, almost every week from May
1st to October 1st.
/ Drs. Wilson and Parrish of the
Anti-Monopoly, each testified to hav-
ing sold goods to Will Taylor, who
was introduced to them by Mr.. Akin,
but neither of these men thought they
would recognize Taylor were he
brought before them.
/ Mr.. c. E. Simmons said he saw Mr..
Akin walking away from his home
early in the morning on several oecas-
ions with a negro unknown to him
but that he was unable to describe the
man.
i Mr. Akin then took the stand and
told that in May of 1921 the roots
were growing into the sewers faster
than he was able to keep them out and
ne asked the council to give him an
other man to do that work. They con-
sented and he picked up negro on
the street who said his name was
Will Taylor He said that Taylor
worked for him all summer and until
October 18th. He said that Taylor
never reported for work in the morn
ings with the other negroes as his
work was all to himself. Mr.. Akin