The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-14
HIT BLANK WALL
Los Angeles Officials Baked in
Solving Movie Murder.
None in Charge Will Admit Any
Definite Progress.
MISS NORMAND WANTS ACTION
Police and Detectives Now
Working Under Cover.
Refuse to Reveal Names of New
Witnesses Quizzed.
MISS NORMAND WANTS ACTION


Los Angeles. Feb. IA report
which was without definite confirma-
ton. gained circulation today that
District Attorney woolwine and his
aides, while claiming they are ''vir-
tually up against a blank WALL in
their investigation OF the mysterious
murder Of William d. Taylor, Famous
film director. have been working for
days on evidence which needs only
additional confederation to place
them in a position to take definite
action in unraveling the case.
No official connected with the VIII
liam Desmond Taylor murder mystery
was brave enough today to declare
that any actual progress Mad been
made toward its solution.
Information suggesting theory
chat Taylor was killer by blackmailers
when he fought to protect the good
name of an innocent motion picture
star. has been furnished the district
attorneys office and is under invesu-
fgaton by detectives. it was learned
To-day.
= Say Taylor Protected Woman
The blackmailers, according to this
new theory, seized upon Taylor's per-
fectly proper friendship with a well
known screen actress, and twisting the
truth. manufactured evidence which
Would throw discredit on the woman,
they then approached Taylor, it was
Suggested, and demanded large sum
of money.
TAYLOR. fearful Of the plot of the
-blackmailers, at first treated with
them and then realizing that the truth
would prevail over manufactured evi-
n &c Il a.
fiance, coupled with a threat to call
in the police, that caused the murder
according to the theory being consid-
erred by the detectives.
The officers were at work and still
Expressing determination to do their
best to find the slayer of the film di7
rector but found themselves confront
ed with too many wild tips" they
said. and too few genuine clues. Many
Of these tips" live thru one edition
of a newspaper-and disappear
Air Filled With Mystery.
The detectives of the police depart
ment still declared their belief that
the case never would be cleared up
until Edward +. Sands, the missing
former butler-secretary to Taylor had
Ibeen discovered. And the sheriff s
deputies were still firm in their con-
tention that Sands had nothing to do
with the case.
The air was filled with rumors of
mystery men" and mystery women"
and mystery witnesses" drug ped
dlers," jealousy motives and IRE
veuGe theories" but back of them all
were the facts that Sands had not
been found: that the murderer had
not been arrested and that the case
was unsolved.
Miss Normand Demands Action.
The demand of Mabel Normand that
the murderer of William Desmond
I
and the announcement of AdoIph Zu-
kOr, president of the FamOus-Lasky
corporation, that his company will
'1eave no stone unturned' to bring
the perpetratOr of the crime to justice.
were the chief developments today in
the most battling mystery in years
The triple investigation carried on
10y the police department. the sheriff's
office and the district attorney pro-
ceeded.
The sheriffs office continued to
work on clews that involve a known
powerful clique of drug peddlers,
whose pernfcious activities have be-
come firmly sealed in certain sections
of Los Angeles and Hollywood and
IN the belief that this band, headed by
a woman. was connected in some man
ner with the Staying of Taylor in his
bungalow on February /
All Are Under Cover.
The investigation of District Attor-
pey Thomas Lee Woolwine and his
aides was being conducted under cover
today. Officials stated that their pre-
iiminary survey Of the case and in
ferrogation of all persons known to
have been evenly remotely connected
with the murdered director or events
shortly preceding the Staying, is still
far from completion.
Several mystery" witnesses were
interrogated by the district attorney
yesterday, including two women, one
OF whom was handsomely gowned and
wore expensive furs. Officials, how
ever, refused to reveal their identity or
discuss their presence at the hall of
records other than to say they had
failed to yield information that would
have added substantially to the solu-
ton of the crime.
The theory OF jealousy was mem
toned as a fresh clew that had been
advanced following the questioning of
one of the women appearing at Wool
wines office.