Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-02-16
WOMAN AND BOOTLEGGER
FIGURE IN FILM PROBE
While Delivering Liqs@ssrr to
Taylor Home, Man Heard
Shot and Saw Woman, He
Says

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 15.-The
search for clues as to the murderer
Of William Desmond Taylor, film
director, went on today with re-
questioning of William Davis, chauf-
feur for Mabel Normand, screen ac-
tress, scheduled for this morning.
Sheriff's deputies, who cling to the
belief that Edward F. Sands, missing
former secretary butler ito Taylor,
had nothing to do with the case,
were understood to have obtained
some information which made it, de-
sirable to have Davis quizzed again
by the district attorney. 1t was un-
derstood the additional information
did not tend to involve Davis.
The chauffeur previously had cor
roborated the statement of Miss Nor
mand, who was, one Of the last to
see Taylor alive, that the director
accompanied her to her automobue
when she left his apartment shortly
before he was slain.
Mack Sennett, film producer and
manager for Miss Normand, has
been questioned by a representative
of the district attorneys office in the
hope that he might be able to give
some information leading to clue,
but without results, it is announced
Sennett said he would be glad to aid
the authorities in every way.
Rewards totaIling 1850 have been
offered for information Leading TO
the arrest and conviction OF the
murderer.
Officials connected with the lnves-
tigation had made no comment cary
today on the opinion OF a Iedera
agent that the arrest here last nlshI
of eight men alleged to nave e1eoreeu
money from wealthy business men
undeF threats of death might lead 10
a solution of the murder mystery.
Woman Seen
ga shot was fired in the apartment
of William Desmond Taylor in west
Lake ter ace court and Immediately
after it 1 saw a woman hurrleoly
leaving his home"
This story, threatening to shattef
all previously enuertalne' theories
of the Taylor sl-ving, was given DIS
trict Attorney Woolwine by a con-
fessed bootlegger, who was unaer III
vestig- tion. A.,
II was delivering liquor at the
Taylor home.
II approached the fxont door fror,
the side of the house. AS l 'eacneu
the shrubbery at the front OF lhe
house. I heard a shot.
az stood there a few SECONDS ahG
saw a woman leave the Taylor
bungalow. She, hurried away.
sI ran back to the car.
ssLet's go, said to my chauf.s
feur We tore away up the sloe
street rs fast as we could make IL.
The informant's description was
said to tally almost exactly with the
n,anLwnorn Mrs. Douglas MacLean
said she had seen standing by Dill
of shrlrbbery near Taylor's home al
most Immediately after the shot was
fir.sd. ,,;u
rrhat q man named Sands had mir
al two gunner to shoot William
Desmond Taylor, Los Angeles movie
director. was the circumstantial
story told Police Lieutenant Frank
Winters by Charles Carson, retired
sea captain.
Edward E. Sands. former valet OF
TAYLOR, is among those wanted for
examination in connection with the
Los Angeles murder mystery.
Carson said he got up out OF his
sick bed at the Admiral hotel to go
to hall of justice here TO tell his
story.
Officials Working Hard
No official connected with the Tay-
1or murder mystery would say
that any actual progress had been
made toward it's solution.
The officers were at work and still
expressing determination to do their
best to find the slayer Of the film
director, but found themselves con-
fronted with too many wild tips,
they said, and too few genuine clues.
Many of these ''tips" live through
one edition of a newspaper and then
disappear. The members of the POI
lice department still are firm in their
belief that the case will never be
cleared up until Edward f. Sands.
the missing former butler-secretary
OF Taylor, has been found.
And the sheriff deputies still were
firm in their contention that Sands
had nothing to do with the case.
The air is full of rumorsA of "n1ys.
terry men" and mystery women"
and mystery witnesses" drug ped
dlers," jealousy motives" and ere.
venge theories" but back of them
all were the facts that Sands had
not been found; that the murderer
had not been arrested. and that tho
case was unsoived.
Carson told Lieutenant Winters
that last October he was beating"
his way from Stockton to Tracy.
At Lathrop he came upon two
men cooking dinner in the woods.
zone of the men," Carson said,
was a friend of mine. I knew him
as a gunman. His friend alsolknew
to be aIgunman, although did not
know his name"
Carson gave the name Of the first
man to the police. E.
my friend told me they were
waiting for a man by the name of
Sands, who had hired them to get
even with a movie actor by the
name of Taylor. Z
"Stick around, Charley my
friend told me. You'll get some
thing to eat when Sands returns
Didn't Wait for Sands
However, l was anxious to get
;,to Tracv md LOFT hefora Sands