The Washington times., 1922-02-15
INTIMATE
OF VALET
WILL. ACT
AsDEC0Y
Writes Loving Letters, At
tempting to Lure Missing
Man to Rendezvous.
BY IatsrnasIonsI News service.


Los ANGELES, Feb. 15.--
With the aid Of a girl who was
his sweetheart in Los Angeles,
detectives have set a trap for
Edward F. Sands, former valet
secretary of William d. Taylor,
slain movie director, now sought
as a suspect in the murder case,
and information which may put
hem ON his trail is expected at
any hour, il was learned today.
sS ~ Girl Writes Letters. y
In san effort to locate ssandS and
draw him into communication with
the girl, whose name is withheld at
the reduest Of the authorities and
who Is working in the closest co..
operation With them. has written to
every point where she believes Sands
may have gone into hiding
"a hot tip," which the inyesti.
gators said appeared to be the most
definite bit Of information received
cation of the case. was being checked
today. II was learned, The detec-
tives said that II the information
proved authentic, It may provide Q
real lead" and assist greatly ID solv.
Ing the mystery.
VIII the arrest early today Of Q
gang OF eight alleged blackhAnders
offer a key to the solution OF the
mysterious murder?
Prisoners drilled.
Authorities sought an answer to
this question through a .grillins of
ed after a gun battle In which q
ninth member OF the gang was
wounded but escaped. The gang is
alleged to have blackmailed promi.
nent Los Angeles business men In
the past few months out Of more
than a 100000. a
Investigators said that $46. 900 had
been extorted from one citizen with
in the past few weeks, and when the
arrests were made last night II was
through a plant, the gang having ex-
pected to secure '$25, 900 from the
head Of a large corporation here,
Police are close upon the trail of
the ninth member of the gang,
thought to be the leader.
According to federal, authorities
who directed the raid In which the
arrests were made. the gang oper-
ated by means Of blackhand letters
threatening death in some cases and
exposure to scandal In others. Facts
in the hands Of investigators lead
them to believe the band to be a part
on a highly organized local band Of
blackhanders and blackmailers.
The eight men arrested all were
foreigners. They gave the names Of
John Marich, Emil Cutie, Mike Kza-
sich, August Belich. Frank Serge,
Henry Susich, Jack Randoff and
Harry Akolza-
Today two important matters were
| to be gone into. In an effort to get
accurate information concerning the
financial status of Taylor, District
| Attorney Woolwine planned to ques-
| ton Mrs. j. NJ. Berger, income tax
expert, who advised the director re-
| garding his tax return on the after
noon before he was slain. She also
talked to him over the telephone less
than an hour before the fatal shot ID
| believed to have been fired. Taylor
was apparently engaged In the task
of filling out the tax blank when
killed.
Probe Chsuffeur's Story.
A recheck today on the report that
Il
the day before his death and rede-
posted 1t the afternoon before the
murder convinced police that It was
erroneous. They were unable to find
any record of the reported with
drawal and found that his deposit on
the afternoon of February l Included
two checks, each for $500, b third
check for $500 and some smaller
ones. The two $500 checks. they
found, were salary checks and the
source of the $500 will be determined
today.
The second point under investiga-
tion today was the story Of William
Davis, chauffeur for Mabel Normand,
famous screen star, who visited Tay.
lor shortly before his murder. Davis
was to be questioned further, al
though officers declined to Indicate
along what lines.