Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-04
MYSTERY SHROUDS ]
FATAL SHOOTING :
OF F|LMD|RECT0R
Prominent Figure in Screen
World Found Dead at Desk
With Bullet Under His
Heart

an probably was responsible for the
Of William Desmond Taylor
detectives believed today.
This theory stood uppermost aft
er twenty-four hours of investiga.
ton into the mystery Of the shooting
of Taylor, whose record as a soldier,
veteran of the picture industry ana
director for the Famous Players.
Lasky company made him an OUT
standing figure in the Los Angeles
motion picture colony.
Whether a woman actually stole
into Taylor's luxurious home and
shot him from behind as he sat at
his desk or a relative of some woI1s
an did the killing is one of the many
unsolved angles of the case, whichs
coming after the Arbuckle AFFAIR."
caps a long string of sensations In
which motion picture favorites have
played a leading part.
Only short time before Taylor
was shot, Mabel Normand, motion
picture comedienne, was at his
home. She went there to discuss q
picture with him and he accom-
panied her to her auto at the curb.
1t is believed that the slayer may
have slipped into the house unno-
ticed while Taylor was out.
Police Theory
nuiHanoo which leads Y1nliOA tn
the belief that a woman is back Of
the shooting Is this:
Taylor had a record as a British
soldier and a charming personality
which made him many friends
among the women photo players.
AS a director for the Famous
PlayersLasky company he had it in
his power to deny or satisfy the am.
billions of women players for STAR
dom.
That the murder was due to
jealousy or love affair is shown by
the fact that no attempt was made
to rob Taylor's home, although many
valuables in the richly furnished
room were in plain sight and could
have been gathered UP in a mo-
ment.
With all these theories, however,
police today admitted that they were
little nearer solving the mystery
than they were yesterday morning
when Taylor's body was found by
his negro valet.
In belief that Edward r. Sands.
former valet of Taylor, may know
something of the shooting. police
searched for him. A warrant charg-
ing him with robbing Taylor has
To- Co... \ -
be found he will be held on this
charge while police investigate the
shooting.
The first word of the murder of
Taylor came yesterday when the
negro valet, Henry PeaZy, dashed
into the home of Miss Edna Pur-
Vance, neighbor of Taylor, shouting
that his master had been killed.
Then followed conflicting stories
of what happened at the Taylor
house the night before.
Douglas MacLean and his wife,
picture stars, whose home adjoins
Taylor's, said they heard a shot about
p. m. Wednesday night and saw
Il mysterious man about the Taylor
house. They believed at the time
that the sound was the backfire OF
I'm automobile. But Miss Purviance
said that at midnight she saw q,
light in Taylor's home.
Il have the strangest and most
CHASTITY feeling that something is
going to happen to me-" Taylor said
10 Miss Mabel Normand, star, accord
ing to her story to the authorities.
Il can't get over a premonition I
have" Miss Normand quoted Taylor
as saying just before they parted.
She described how they had gone
over a scenario in which she was
to appear, and how Taylor's mind
frequently wandered from the sub.
ject.
He said good night cheerily," tho
film actress declared, land he prom
lsed to call me up before bed time"
Two pictures of Mabel Normand
were on the directors bureau when
the police arrived and there was one
from Mary Plckford, signed: ITO my
nice director, VIM. Taylor, the most
patient man I ever knew"
Miss Mabel Normand was said by
the police to have received her frst
word Of the tragedy through Edna
Purviance, also a motion picture ac-
tress, whose apartment is near that
occupied by Taylor. Miss PurviancN
called Miss Normand on the teles
phone as soon as she heard the de.
tails of the shooting.
Mabel NOrmand's Statement
Miss Normand stated there chad
been no affair Of the heart whats
ever" between her and Taylor.
His friendship for me was that
of an older man for girl who liked
the outdoor sports he liked and who
was eager to CLEAN little enlight<
eminent from the vast storehouse OF
knowledge he possessed"
when I went to Mr.. TayIor'a
home Wednesday evening it was in
response to a telephone call he had
made to mine," Miss Normand said.
Il had my chauffeur drive me to
Mr.. Taylor's home. I bought pea
nuts and some magazines and news
papers and ate the peanuts on the
way. When L got out of my auto%
mobile L told my chauffeur to clean
the car.
Then I went up the steps. I
heard Mr.. Taylor talking to some-
body over the phone underneath the
stairs and 1 hesitated about going
in until he had finished. Then T
entered. He had been talking to a
woman who had charge Of the iTs-
come tax business for many Of the
motion picture folk, including mys
self
HE came in and said, Gee, I'm
glad to see you
1T was about I've minutes after
Z when l arrived at his house. We
talked about books. I am studying
French and as he spoke French
fuently, he was of great assistance
to me.
II looked around the dra ring
room and told him 1 thought he had
changed his house furnishings. He
said: You haven't been here for SO
ong you forget l hadn't been to.
liS house before for two months. He