Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-02-03
NOTED ACTRESS
NAMES BROUGHT
into MYSTERY
Mabel Normand One Of Last 10
See Elirn-EIad Portraits
OF Two Marys

~ "" 49, y = ~ p
LOS ANGELES Feb 3--Revenge,
Jealousy, hate and unanswered love
all were considered by the police to-
day in continuing the search for the
slayer of William Desmond Taylor,
motion picture director, whose body
was found yesterday IN his apartment
here.
Meager clues pointed to man as
the criminal, but detectives said they
believed it possible that Taylor had
been killed by a woman.
The names of Mabel Normand, Mary
Miles Minter and others have been
brought into the case by the news
papers. Miss Normand was one of the
last to see Taylor alive
Taylor was shot down, it is belicy-
ed by the police, shortly after he
escorted Mabel Normand, the actress,
from his door to her automobile. He
had been writing at his desk. he was
found by his colored servant early
Thursday.
His death has caused greater up-
heaval in the Los Angeles and Holly
wood picture colonies than any other
|event in years.
Taylor, had directed many stars and
was responsible for number Of
successful pictures.
He had a foreboding that some
thing fatal was going to happen, ac-
cording to the story told BY Miss
Normand. and he voiced II shortly
before she left him.
Had Ghastly Feeling.
81 have the strangeSt and most
ghastly feeling that something is go-
ing to happen to me, Mr. Taylor said
just before ! left him." said the
coincidence when questioned by the
IpoEce. We had been going over d
scenario of a play am to do. His
mind wandered several times.
! ~ can't get over premonition
/ have he said, several times. We
| finished our work, and he eseoTSed
me to my motor. He said good nighs
cheerfully, after promising to call me
up before bedtime. lie never CALI
led
II is believed Taylor knew some
enemy was preparing for violence Il
is thought that this enemy got into
his house while he was showing Miss
Normand to her car and that he sil0t
Taylor when he returned to his desk.
Douglas MacIean and his wife are
Ineighbors Of Taylor on fashionable
Alyarado street and declare they
heard shot about the, time Taylor Is
thought to have been shot.
II was in the bathroom and
heard sound like d revolver shot, L
said MacLean. ~ remarked about It
to my wife but we decided 1t was
an automobile baekfiring and did not
| Investigate further
Found by Servant.
Taylor's body was found by Henry
Peazy, the servant, whose cries nt-
tracted Edna Purviance, leading wo-
man for Charlie Chaplin, and Mr..
and Mrs MacLean.
When Mabel Normandk was told
about the murder she was on the
verge Of collapse. Two Of her pic
lures were on gTaylor's desk when
the police arrived.
| There were many other pictures of
film celebrities, one Of them Of Mary
Pickford, which was autographed,
ITO my nice director, William Tay-
/ lor, the most patient man ever know
With most sincere friendship, Mary
Pickford. Z"
| Another cabinet photograph was
tsigned "To William Desmond Tav-
/ lor, artist, gentleman, man! Mary
Miles Minter."
Despite the lack of clues, police
are conducting i search for a former
secretary to Taylor, against whom
warrants charging burglary are now
standing This secretary decamped
some months ago with, it is alleged,
a large sum of Taylor's money and
other valuables belonging to the dead
man.
Taylor was wealthy and his home
here WAS beautifully furnished.