The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-02-06
TWO YEARS SEALED
IN TAYLOR'S CAREER
Life of Slain Movie Director
Traced to 1908, When
.as Link Breaks.
SCREEN STAR IN 1910.
Antique Dealer Tells of
!; Deane-Tanner and His
Il Happy Home.
AVOIDED 'FLASHY CROWD
AVOIDED 'FLASHY CROWD
~
!. M. Asher Says Victim of
Murder Lived Quietly. in
Cinema Colony.

Bit by bit the story of the eventful
hfe OF William Desmond Taylor, or
William Cunningham Deane Tanner
as he was christened in Dublin, Ire
land, discloses itself through the me-
dunn of persons who knew him init
mately here before his disappearance
In 1908 and since his temperance In
the motion picture industry in 1910
The two years between those dates
stall remain sealed.
despite few changes In certain
nnannerisms, the stories of the per-
sonality of the art connoisseur-motion
picture director run parallel. The
shock of his death is felt alike by
those who knew him in this city as
the antique expert and sportsman and
those who were admitted to the linn
tied circle Of his acquaintance on the
Pacific coast.
Frank J. Sparrell of Westfield. N. j.
who was associated with the dead mo-
tibn picture director when he was
president of the Little English An
tiuue Shop, owned by A. j. Crawford
yesterday told of his friendship for
Mr.. Tanner and of the interest the
friends of Mr.. Tanner took In the pic
ture turned out by William Desmond
Taylor after they had discovered the
two men to be identical. The fact that
William Cunningham Deane-Tanner
and Dennis Deane- Tanner were broth
ers. and not the same person. also was
definitely established by Mr.. Sparrell
Who said that the brothers had worked
ii, the Crawford firm for some time to-
gether.
X Home Life Was Happy.
I'VE all were very fond of Pete
Deane-Tanner. or Tanner, as we called
Him for Short" said Mr.. Sparrell. HE
hard ever met and our friendship was
very strong. I had visited at his home
Mf Larchmont and had dinner with his
wife and little girl several times. ! was
always impressed with the happiness of
the little family circle. The home was
not an elaborate one. for Pete was
never n person for showing off. but II
was a happy one and very comfortably
furnished. Why Pete could go away
the way he did was the greatest mys-
terry to all OF his intimate friends.
HrThe story that Pete had debts and
ran away from them is not only untrue,
but ridiculous. He had enough money
to live comfortably. and was receiving a
salary of at least $4,000 a year, which
IN 1908 was considerable. If he had
bden in any difficulty he knew that his
friends would help him, but he wasn't.
We all had noticed the facial neuralgia
Which distorted 'Pete's' face so. and he
had several mental lapses during the
time knew him. We all agreed with
Mrs. Deane-Tanner at the time of his
Gsappearance that he had wandered
away while seized with one of those
spells. He was not a heavy drinl<er and
was never classed among the so-called
Eporty set"
ITO his friends. including Mr.. Spar
rell. Deane-Tanners temperance as
rCapt. Alvarez" the hard riding Mexi-
chn hero Of a motion picture of that
name. was the first intimation that any
one had that he was still alive. Mr..
Spared says that several OF his friends
had written to California to MIR. Tay-
Tor" but had received no answers to
their letters. Mr.. Sparrell said that
he did not put much faith In the "shang-
hjed" story, as Mr.. Tanner was able to
handle himself we'll. whether In a
mental spell or not. and was of an ath-
fetic build. and an excellent horseman.
Lived a Quiet Life.
z From "the lot" as the motion picture
field In Hollywood is known. comes the
story of William Desmond Taylor. the
Expert on the setting Of pictures requir-
ing knowledge of period design and
matters removed from the ordinary
trend of every day life. Here. from the
time he worked In small parts and as
utility man for Thomas Ince In 1910.
until his tragic death. Taylor was a
Unique figure In the cinema colony.
: Il. NJ Asher, New York representa-
1--we for Mack Sennett, maker OF the
comedies In which Mabel Normand
started her career. told last night of his
association with the slain director. In
general his description of the man
closely resembles that given by the
friends of william Deane-Tanner when
ne was the New York antique expert.
y fTaylor was figure which stood out
prominently in Hollywood" Mr.. Asher
Stid. for he had none of the earmarks
OF the movie actor or director. He re-
scrnbled a lawyer or a business man OF
the sterncst type. He was quiet, dressed
In the most quiet clothes and was known
ss man who never talked about him
seif, his work or what he was going to
do. This is rare in the movie colony.
az never heard his name mentioned
IN connection with any woman with one
exception. That exception was when
The rumor went around the lot that he
and Neva Gerber were sweethearts.
and she practically said they were en-
gagged. This also is unusual in Holly
hood, where every one knows the other
persons business when Il comes to love
affairs"
y The one discrepancy In the story of
Tanner of New York and Taylor of the
Coast Is that no one In the motion
picture business there ever heard OF or
raw the facial trouble which Tanner
Suffered from in the East. Nor was he
tvcn known to have had any sickness
or TO suffer from the mental nervous
pess which he had while in this city.
The two years of mystery, which arc
fl,ed with rumors OF a frenzied hunt
for Alaskan gold, repertoire acting and
trnveling along the western coast from
Nome. Alaska, to Central or South
Ameri3. still remain the pages OF a
CLOSED nook.