New Britain herald., 1922-02-06
Suspect, Former Fiance Of Film Star, Known To Have Been In Los Angeles On Day Of Staying
Pink Silk Nightgown, Miss. ing From Taylor's Home After Killing, Is Impor- tant Clue in Mystery.

tant Clue in Mystery.
 Los Angeles, Feb. 6.-Jeaousy has directed search for q prominent New York young man, formerly engaged to one of the stars of filmdom in con nection with the shooting last We'd Taylor, police and private detectives reported today
 Trailing Suspect
 This suspect was reported today to have checked out of a hotel here on the day the murder was committed and left the city the next afternoon He is believed by investigators to have headed for San Diego and possibly crossed the border into Mexico His name is withheld by the police
 The actress to whom this suspect was at one time engaged. according to investigators, was a close friend of the slain director In this friendship Investigators see possible motive of jealousy which would lead to the mur- der.
 Letters Are Missing
 Letters written by Mabel Normand Q Taylor which were reported missing after the murder and evidence con , eerning presence for six months at least of a womans silk pink night gown in Taylor's bachelor apartment .oday added interest to the case.
 Night Gown Gone
 Investigators were reluctant to dis cuss the night gown. A bit of mystery attaches to it for Henry Peavey, Tay- or's negro houseman told of it's pres ence in the house until the night of the murder. Where it now is. is a police mystery. Reports are that it disappeared with the letters
 Story Of the Shooting
 Mrs. Douglas MacLean, wife of the film actor. gave the first detailed state ment of what she saw and the impress sions she received the night William Desmond Taylor, film director was slain, in statement made public last night.
 Mrs MasI.ean said she simply could not describe" the man she had seen lurking about Tayior's apartment last Wednesday night
 T should say he vas five feet. nine inches tall. perhaps .ahn said. 'It seems to me he had I prominent nose but I may have received that impress sion from shadows cast by the arc light.
 T hardly think it was the missing butler, Edward r. Sands. It seems to me he was not so heavy as Sands.
 T can only be sure of tho gray plaid cap and that his neck was muffled with something it was his coat collar. I can't even tell whether he wore an overccat. We had just finish cd dinner It was between s and S:1a o'clock. Christina, the maid, was busy in the dining room. I had walked into the living room and was sitting on the davenport knitting. MT. .MacLean had gone upstairs to get little electric stove we sometimes use.
 Heard Report
 "Then came the shatterng report It was muffled but stili it seemed to penetrate every corner of the room
 Christina paused in her work, on. she cried wasn't that a shot? 2
 II didn't know There are many au- tomobiles passing the court all the time. It might have been backiire from one of them.
 "I walked to the door and opened it. l pressed against the screen looking out into the night.
 Sees the Man Then I saw the man. He was stand l ing with his back almost entirely to- wards me, on a corner of Mir. Taylors | porch. The door of the Taylor home ] was open and light was shining from inside.
 Almost at that instant l saw q man | he turned and faced me. He seemed | neither surprised nor startled; certain ly not alarmed. It ali seemed to be done casually. He smiled at me. l could see the corners of his mouth curl in the shadow of his cap. could not see his face distinctly enough to distinguish his features.
 "I thought Mir, Taylor must have called to him from inside the house. The man turned away, walked to the door and almost disappeared inside. It seemed as if he were bidding his h host adieu. He closed the door. He did not slam it, nor did he close it with unusual softness.
 Walks Toward Her
 Then he walked across the porch and turned toward me.
 "1 drew back within the house, And IS l was closing the door, 1 saw tho nan turn in to a walk between the houses and disappear It was very lark there. That walk led to another street where persons on that side of he court usually park their automo- piles. And so l thought nothing of the whole thing. I did not even mention it . 0 Mir. MacLean until the next morn ng when the terrible screams of MT z raylors servant awakened us.
 '"Then 1 remembered the man." u