Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-02-04
FAMOUS ARTISTS
TESTIFY I'M CASE
BEFORE CORONER
Los Angeles Feb 4.-Famous stars of flmdom
were summoned as witnesses today at the inquest
into the death of William Desmond Taylor motion

picture director soldier
and adventurer, whose
true name may be Will
liam Deane Tanner, slain by a bullet
in the back at his residence here
Wednesday night.
The police investigation Of the
crime had revealed by today maze
of complexities in the life Of Taylor
or Tanner. The director reported af-
fairs of the heart continue to be the
leading subject of inquiry.
Mabel Normand, Mary Miles Minter
and Neva Gerber are the three mo-
ton picture actresses involved in the
police investigation. Reports have
come to the police they say that a
love affair at one time or another
existed between each of these and the
slain director.
Police say without mentioning the
name that a motion picturelactress is
the center of their investigation. A
theory of a revenge motivefwith ieal.
ousy as the possible direct cause is
DelnS dndlyLeu lHey say
Edna Purviance and Mrs. Douglas
MacLean, the former an actress and
the latter the wife of an actor are
incidental witnesses in the case.
These five figures in the motion pic
. ture world. and others, actresses, di-
rectors and employees, are scheduled
to appear here today in the inquest.
/ Seek Former Valet.
: Glare Windsor, motion picture ac-
tress, revealed threat by Taylor
= against one Sands, his former valet.
: She told of accompanying Taylor to
! hotel party within week before
{ his death. She said Taylor was talk
l ing of the robbery of certain jewels
which the police and Taylor attrbut-
ed to Sands. according to the police.
Miss Windsor said that Taylor in
this connection declared: "If | ever
| lay my hands on Sands | will Kill
him"
; Miss Windsor in discussing It said
/ that TaylCr seemed very determined
because Sands robbed him of every
cent he had at the time
"Taylor made no secret Of his
plan to kill his valet" she said, "as
= he told a number of people he would
= kill him if here ever got his hands
on him.
= Miss Windsor said that she had
known Taylor a long time, but never
+ very well. That a woman was in
J. volved in the murder was the theory
: advanced by Sheriff VIM. |. Traeger.
6 "From what ! have been able tn
!. learn" he said, ut appears to me-
, that one woman and one man are
, responsible for the victims death.
The woman supplied the incentive
! and the man did the act"
4 More Anent TayIor's Life.
/ Chicago. Feb. 4.--Foilow Los An.
0 geles chapters in the life of William
5 Desmond Taylor, motion picture direc.
5 tor who was slain in Los Angeles
t Wednesday night were revealed here
today by his friends
? It was said that Taylor was well
known previous to 1908 as William
: Deane Tanner, an art COnnOisseur.
? He was then the manager of a prom.
inent New York firm of art and an
tique furniture dealers and he had q
wide circle of friends.
Ill I3UI, HIS IIltuuS say ut oCtlStif
married Miss Ethel May Harrison, q
member of the original Florodora COM
. pany, and they had a child Ethel, now
Il wears old In 1908 according TO
his friends he disappeared in mysteri'
e Gus fashion and his wife was unable tn
S assign any reason for his action. Sew
e everal years later, it was said his
wife was reported to have obtained q
l divorce, aud since has married a prom
a inent New York merchant.
!. About two years later, it was said.
n Tanner suddenly surprised several
). Old acuuaintanCes by calling on them
$ at their home in Los Angeles He is
Il reported to have told them that he
{ had been shanghaied at night in
e lower Broadway, New York, and was
e taken aboard sailing vessel bound
around Cape Horn He reached a port
on the Pacific northwest coast several
months later he is said to have told
=. them. He said he had then gone tn
] work for the transcOntinental railroad
and subsequently had sought employ
4, ment in a mine after which he went
II to Los Angeles.
# Conceals Some of Past.
t When he went to Los Angeles, Tan.
y ner. however, is said to have shown
+ a reluctance in discussing some por-
) tions of his adventures and did not
? explain why he failed to return to his
family and friends. Without ever
Il fully explaining the reason for doing
IL so. he added the name of Taylor and
T. never was known as Tanner in Los
E Angeles. In 1910 he left Los Angeles
1t and it was assumed that he was go-
'e ing 10 British Columbia. for he had
e not been successful in former city
Il
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