The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-02-15
MAY BRING
new TAYLOR
DEATH CLUE
Men Taken in Pistol Bat
tle-MabePs Chauf-
feur Quizzed.

Los Angeles, Cal, Feb. l5.-Eight
men. alleged to have consplred to
extort large sums of money from
wealthy Los Angeles business men
were arrested here late last night
after a revolver fight with federal
officers, deputy-sheriffs and private
Investigators, according to story
the Los Angeles Times published
today.
A ninth man, believed to have
been seriously wounded by q bullet
! fired in the ozark. escaped, but his
arrest is expected, the officers saiu.
A business man who received
| letter demanding money noticed
| the authorities a plant was ar
ranged and placed back of a sgn
! board on a corner opposite service
station, as directed in the letter de-
manding $25,000.
Federal agents and the night
| force of the sherin's office were on
guard.
One Man Wounded
| Three deputies were on the roof
! of the house, where the ofhceEs
| later declared, the men arrested had
| their headquarters, Other officers
were on the roofs of nearby houses
and in places of vantage between
them.
When a man approached the hid
ing place of the marked money Of
ficers opened fire with sawed on
shotguns and revolvers.
The man cried, out, fell and wTlg-
gled away in the darkness. ON
GERS sprang to the sign board. Inc
plant was gone. Bloodstalns
were found and trailed to the house
i where the arrests were made.
The officers rushed the door OF
the house and half a dozen pIsto.
shots were fired at them through
the door and windows but the IN
mates were soon overpowered.
They had the money from the
plant. according to the officers.
but the wounded man could not be
found.
One federal agent said it was pos
sible the arrests might lead 10 a
clue to the killing Of william Des-
mond Taylor. film director.
Clue Search Continues.
Los Angeles, Calf. Feb. 15.-Thc
search for clues to the slayer OF
william Desmond Taylor, film d.
rector. went on today with a reques-
: tfoning of William Davis, chaui-
feur for Mabel Normand, screen
actress, scheduled for this morn
ling.
l Sheriffs' deputies who Gins 10
> the belief that Edward F. Sands
missing former secretary-butler u
TayIor, had nothing to do win
! - fA ID ET
obtained some information which
. made it desirable 10 have DAVIS
lquizzed again by the district attoC-
: ney. 1t was understood that the al
ditional information did not tend
to involve Davis.
The chauffeur had previously coz
Iroborated the statement of Miss
Normand, who was one of the last
Ito see Taylor alive, that the dlrec'
tor accompanied her 10 her auto
mobile when she left his apart
ments shortly before he was slai1
e Sennett Questioned.
Mack Sennatt, film producer an,
manager for Miss Normand. ha'
, been questioned by a Representative
of the district attorney in the hop,
that he might be able TO give SOM
important information that wOuL
lead to clues but without any ma
q terial results.
a Sennett said he would be glad t'
:, aid the authorities in every way.
7 Rewards totalIing 81 800 have
= been offered for information lead
: ing to the arrest and conviction c
the slayer.
| Officials connected with the IN
. vestigation had made no commeH
+. early today on the opinion of a fed
: eral agent that the arrest here las
night of eight men alleged to hay
> extorted money from wealthy busi
ness men under threats of deaf
might lead to solution Of the mug
der mystery
| DnnnE II vrrn rsrrInn III r[, -,