The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-02-09
DEATH THREAT TN
TAYLOR MURDER
Claire Windsor Says Movie
Director Had Threatened
Life of His Valet.
DUAL LIFE is Barred
Taylor Was Living Under AS
sumed Name for Years and
Had Romance of the Sea.

Los Angeles - Famous stars of
filmdom were summoned as witnesses
today at the inquest into the death of
William Desmond Taylor, motion pic
ture director, soldier and adventurer
whose true name may be William
Deane Tanner, slain by a bullet in the
back Of his residence here Wednes-
day night.
The police investigation of the crime
had revealed by today maze of com
plexities in the life of Taylor or Tan :
ner. The directors reported affairs
of the heart continued to be the Lead
ing subject of inquiry.
Mabel Normand, Mary Miles Minter
and Neva Gerber are three of the
motion 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 picture actress
is the center of their investigation.
A theory of revenge" motive with
jealousy as the possible direct cause
is being analysed they say.
Edna Purviance and Mrs. Douglas
MacLean, the former actress and the
latter the wife of an actor, are Incl
dental witnesses in the case. These
five figures in the motion picture
world, and others, actresses, directors
and employees are scheduled to appear
here today in the inquest.
Reveal Threat Against Valet.
Claire Windsor, motion picture ac-
tress revealed a threat by Taylor
against Sands. She told of accom-
panying Taylor to a hotel party with
in week before his death. She said
Taylor was talking of the robbery of
certain jewels which the police and
Taylor attributed to Sands, according
to police. Miss Windsor said that
Taylor in this connection declared:
"If ever lay my hands on Sands I
will kill him."
Miss Windsor, in discussing it said
that Taylor seemed very determined
because Sands robbed him of every
cent he had at the time.
"Mr. Taylor made no secret of his
plan to kill his valet" she said, Gas
he told number of people he would
kill him if he ever got his hands on
him."
! Miss Windsor said that she had
known Taylor long time but never
very we'll.
That a woman was involved in the
murder was the theory advanced by
Sheriff Traegor Of Los Angeles.
Z Sees Woman in Case.
'From what have been able to
learn" the sheriff said, SIT 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 staying"
Sands, who has become a mystery
man in connection with the Staying
was reported to police as having been
seen in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the
day preceding the murder and on We'd
nesday evening, the night of the muir
der.
A man whose name the police with
hold is reported to have informed de-
tectives that he conversed with Sands
on Tuesday and that at that time
Sands declared with an oath, "I'm here
to get Bill Taylor.
A woman is declared to have seen
Sands on Wednesday evening in the
vicinity of the scene of the crime.
Indications that Sands was known
as Stathmore and wanted by army
authorities for desertior from mill
tary service with irregular accounts
have turned police investigation fur
Their into his past history
Reveals Dual Existence.
The dual existence If TAYLOR max