Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-14
Nefa Gerber Pretty Screen
Star Explains Why Taylor
Had Given Her Number of
Checks

tor, today issued a statement eX-
planning why i1er name appeared on
many o. Taylor's cancelled checks.
WhiN an these developments shed
light on some Of the side issues of
the man hunt which has now been
admitted that Me clew pointing to
a new suspect was the only enc
which held out hope for final solu-
ton of the murder mystery.
Miss Gerber, in her statement,
said that the checks given her were
for charity and in payment for an
automobile which Taylor gave her
as a present during their engage
ment. The car, she said, was not
entirely paid for when purchased,
and Taylor gave her the checks to
complete the payments.
The last check that Taylor gave
her for $500, Miss Gerber said, was
to help her over temporary financial
straits. Taylor, she said, knew she
was hard up" for money and sent
her the check.
Taylor's check book showed that
this last $500 payment was made
three weeks ago, although the en-
gagement between the director and
the film actress ended two years be-
fore. Miss Gerber said that she and
Taylor had remained the best of
friends.
Investigation by the district attor-
neys office into the murder mystery
was to proceed Monday, although it
was a legal holiday. The district
attorney said he was uncertain
what form the inquiry would take,
but thought it unlikely he would
summon to mis- Offices any motion
picture stars or others. He thought
it more probable, he stated, that the
detectives would investigate any
available leads and that witnesses
would be summoned for questioning
by him hereafter only when the pre-
liminary work of the officers indi-
Gated some discovery of more than
usual Importance.
This latter course would place the
detectives Of the police department
again on their theory that the find
ing of Edward F. Sands, missing
former butler-secretary to Taylor.
was essential to the solution of the
office on their Numerically opposed
contention that Sands had nothing
to do with the Staying.
Shortly before this partial dis
closure Of the future procedure of
his office in the investigation, Mr..
Woolwine had issued statement
condemning faxed and fraudulent
interviews on the case and declar.
ing:
There was grave and serious
doubt at the present time as to
whether the murdered will ever be
apprehended."
While the police detectives and the
sheriffs deputies have not acknowl-
edged defeat, they admit the case is
one of the most bewildering ever to
come to their attention. Eleven
days have passed since the discovery
of the crime and the officers assign
ed to the mystery have worked with
less than their ordinary sleep and
under unusual pressure in tracking
down what seemed like tangible
clues and in investigating almost
innumerable tips
Many clips" Received
A sample of some Of the "tips"
sent the officials is the following
from letter thought to be in a WON.
ans handwriting:
"I dreamed last night that Mr.
Taylor was killed by a fair-haired
woman with a hooked nose. Find
that woman and you have the MUIR
derer.'
Mr.. Woolwine's statement deplor-
ing what he termed faxed and
fraudulent interviews" on the case.
follows:
'In the early edition of the Exam
liner for Monday morning there APP
peared on the first page thereof an
interview purporting to come from
me which was never in effect given.
This interview never took place,
and there is not a word of it that 1
have ever authorized to be printed,
nor did 1 have the slightest intima-
ton. directly or indirectly, that it
would be.
"There is not q sentence that con-
tains my exact language about any
thing. 1t is composed of some things
that L have uttered in substance.
There are some half truths, many
absolute falsehoods. I have made
complaint publicly about the ver-
dict in the Burch case, but did not
authorize any further statement
about that case.
1.-THE following quotation from the
false interview was never uttered
by me:
directing all its energies in its prose
cution of Mrs. Mada!.yyune Obenchain
in be: rial before Judge Sidney N.
Reeve, [ have this most battling of
murder mysteries to solve-the kill
ing of William Desmond Taylor
Language ViciOusIy False
az would not make such a state
ment at this time, when the Oben-
chain case is on trial, and for the
further reason that there are now
pending in the Office of the district
attorney many hundreds of cases
that should, and do, receiv atten-
ton, the Obel chain case being only
one of that large number.
"I did not say the last quoted
words in substance or effect at any
time.
1.-The following language nurport-
ed to have been uttered by me is
out of whole cloth and is viciously
false:
off the minds of the jurors who
first tried Fatty Arbuckle and Ar
thur c.. Burch are the minds of the