Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1922-02-03
NOTED ACTRESS
NAMES BROUGHT
into MYSTERY Y
Mabel Normand One OF Last To
See Him-Had Portraits
OF Two Marys

vi L W. AVA0k %
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 3-Revenge,
jealousy, hate and unanswered love
all we're considered by the police to-
day in continuing the search for the
slayer of William Desmond Taylor,
motion picture director, whose body
was found yesterday in his apartment
here.
Meager clues pointed TO- man as
the criminal, but detectives said they
believed it possible that Taylor had
been killed by a woman.
The names of Mabel Norman, Mary
Miles Minter and others have been
brought into the case by the news
papers. Miss Norman was Of the
last to see Taylor alive.
Taylor was shot down, it is believ-
ed by the police, shortly after he
escorted Mabel Normand, the actress,
| from his door to her automobile. He
had been writing at his desk. he was
found by his colored servant early
Thursday.
His death has caused greater up
heaval in the Los Angeles and Holly
wood picture colonies than any other
event in years. &fMN
Taylor had directed many stars anu
was responsible for a number OF
successful pictures.
He had foreboding that some
thing fatal was going to happen, ac-
cording to the story told by Miss
| lNormand, and he voiced it shortly
before she left him.
Had CHASTITY Feeling.
81 have the strangest and most
lghastly feeling that something Is go-
| ing to happen to me, Mr.. Taylor said
just before / left him." said the
comedienne when questioned by the
police. I'VE had been going over
scenario Of a play / am to do. His
mind wandered several times.
:" i can't get over a premonition
II have, he said, several time. We
| finished our work, and he escorted
me to my motor. He said good night
cheerfully, after promising to call me
up before bedtime. He never CALI
led"
| It is believed Taylor knew some
leneny was preparing for violence. II
lis thought that this enemy got into
his house while he was showing Miss
Normany to her car and, that he shot
Taylor wen he returned to his desk.
Douglas MacLean and his wife are
lneighbors of Taylor on fashionable
Alyarado street and decleare they
heard a tohoabtheutT r ISM Utriedas
a shot about the time Taylor is
thought to have been shot.
81 was in the bathroom and
heard a sound like revolver shot, <
said MaeLean. II remarked about ii
to my wife but we decided 1t was
an automobile backfiring and did not
Investigate further"
Found by Servant.
Taylor's body was found by Henry
Peazy, the servant, whose cries at
tracted Edna Purviance, leading wo-
man for Charlie Chaplin, and Mr..
and Mrs. MacLean.
When Mabel Normand was told
about the murder she was on the
verge of collapse. Two Of her pic
lures were on Taylor's desk when
the police arrived.
There were many other pictures of
film celebrities, one of them of Mary
Pickford, which was autographed,
"To my nice director, William Tay-
lor, the most patient man ever knew.
With most sincere friendship, Mary
Pickford.
Another cabinet photograph was
lsigned: "To William Desmond Tay-
lor, artist, gentleman, mani Mary
Miles Minter."
Despite the lack of clues, police
are conducting search for a former
secretary to Taylor, against whom
warrants charging burglary are now
standing. This. secretary decamped
some months ago with, it is alleged,
large sum of Taylor's money and
other valuables belonging to the dead
man.
Taylor was wealth and his home
here was beautifully furnished.