Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-02-09
WOMAN SHOT TAYLOR
As Ne EMBRACED HER
IS POLICE THEORY
Body Was Carefully Arranged
After Death Before Arrival
Of Officers.
NEW LOVE LETTERS FOUND
BY A.soclst.d Pros. to r.very r,venlns.

FFpnfNR.
Los Angeles. Feb. s.--The letters Of
Mabel Nornand. fllm actress, to Will
liam Desmond Taylor. slain film dlrec-l
tor. have been found and are In the
Office OF the District Attorney. accord
ing to story the Los Angeles Times
published today.
The letters for which Miss Normand
searched Taylor's apartment yainiy
we're found In a boot In closet in the
Taylor home by detectives, It wns
said.
| Police and county detectives lnveati-
eating the murder mystery have ad-
vanced the theory that Taylor was
shot by woman whom he was em-
Tracing and who had her arms around
him
Tho theory is based on the position
of the bullet found ip his back and the
fact that Taylor is thought to have
had his arms raised when he was
killed. Rage. because she had been
scorned by the director. is the motive
imputed to the woman.
Body ResrrsnEed After shooting.
A statement that the body OF Taylor
had been placed In order before the
police arrived to investigate the
tragedy was made by r. Parsons. n
member or the flying squadron" OF
rolice which answers hurry calls
The report Parsons gave his s,i
periors said tho body had been care
fully laid out" on the floor of his
apartments. and chair overturned
across his legs. His report IL said by
attaches OF the District Attorneys
office, to have interested" them very
Imuch. Parsons, with Detective
Thomas Zeiglcr. reached the scene be-
fore any other officers.
To CentraiIye Investigation.
The centralized Investigation at the
district attorneys Office Of the mystery
surrounding the murder OF William
Desmond Taylor was expected TO be-
gin today, following the alleged dis
lcovcry and turning over 70 that ON
cisl last night OF letters written to the
director by Mabel Normand
Taylor's estate. once valued at a.
, much as 100000. will not amount to
more than $4,000 the public admin
istrator said, unless unknown bank
accounts are located. The administra-
tor snid he had heard rumor TAYLOR
lisd a large account In New yort
brnk. but had been unable to verify IT,
Miss Ethel Daisy Tanner. of New
York, the directors daughter. ia the
only claimant to the estate, it is said
Among the directors effects wer,
found several hundred cancelled
l..t<<
nection With loans. IL wa. said. and
we're endorsed by prominent persons
in the flm colony.
Sheriffs deputies have announced
their disbelief Sands had anything I,
do with the staying OF Taylor and sald
last night they had three leads In.
volving persons In the film world.
! As Thomas Lee Woolwine. district
attorney In taking personal charge OF
the trial Of Mrs. Madalynne Oben-
chain. Tor the murder of J. Balton
Kennedy. William c. Doran. his chief
! deputy. was placed in charge OF the
inquiry into the Taylor case.
Although verification from him was
not cbtainable. the Los Angeles Times
published today statement that the
Normand letters. with several tele-
grams. were In Mr.. Dorans hands.
J Miss Normand. who once searched
: the Taylor apartments, for her let
ters. has been quoted as saying her
only desire to regain possession OF the
letters was founded on a fear tha,
some OF the phrases In them would be
misunderstood. She said she fel, a
+ strong friendship for the director. but
there had been no serious love affali
between them.
May Break Silence Conspiracy.
IL was believed the centralizatior
> would result In the breaking down o,
? the conspiracy OF silence" the polio,
: declared existed on the part of the mo.
: tion-picture people concerning detail,
: essential to the apprehension OF tn,
g ailant.
CHIEF Deputy District Attorney w
&. Doran announced thai. bcginnin,
today. every witness connected VIII
the case win be summoned TO IN,
District Attorneys office To be aues
; toned at length again.
While Mr.. Doran declined to nam
! the witnesses to be called today, /
was considered certain thsy will In
clude Mabel Norman. the last perso,
: who saw Taylor alive: Nary Mile,
Minter. intimate friend OF the slair
man, and Mrs. Douglas Mclean. VIII,
saw man fleeing from The Taylo
home after the murder.
I'VE have obtained secret informa
/. tion that virtually solves the mur
=, der, Captain OF Detectives Adam
: stated YESTERDAY. '~rhis inforrnatio,
has not been made public. nor VIII /
be. but It is positive IN It's Character.
To File Against Sands.
He added that the police are cen
toring their efforts on the search 10
Edward Sands. Mr.. Taylor's forme
valet, who has disappeared.
r In my mind. the case has bee,
solved" SAID District Attorney Dor
an. There Is no doubt lef. I believe
;ha; Sands is the man. A murde
, complaint for his arrest will be is
: sued"
!, Mr.. Doran declared that corrobra
: tive evidence has been uncovered o
= such nature that the arrest o
!. Sands II absolutely necessary L
Continued on page 10.