The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-03-01
The TAYLOR MURDER
MAY YET BE SOLVED
Story Told by Mrs. John Rupp
May Mean Clearing Up of
Mysterious Murder Case.

4
| Los ANGELES, Feb 2s-The mys-
terry of the murder OF William Desmond
Taylor, film director. lis solved, If the
story told by Mrs. John Rupp in connec-
| ton with the arrest here today OF six
| drug peddlers Is correct tonight de-
| olared detective sergeant Herman Cline.
| one Of the police squads assigned to the
| case
When Sergeant Cline. head of the po-
lice homicide squad, made this state
ment, Mrs. Rupp, who told the police
she had kept house for the men. had
been rigidly questioned by two detectives
Of the district attorneys office. Officers
said they would check up every detail
of her statement.
Another witness, new in the case, and
whose exact connection with it and
whose name was not made public otfic-
tally, was taken before district attorney
Woolwine, to whom he was said to have
told a very important story" This wit
ness is called ''Frenchy George by the
detectives, who decline further informa-
ton.
'fFrsnchy Georges" story, however,
was believed to relate to the arrest of
the six men, who were accused of having
sold drugs and liquor to motion picture
actors and actresses and others in the
Hollywood district.
made threats against Taylor in her pres
ence, asserting that the director had lin
5ured their business" She declared they
showed nervousness the night Of Febru-
airy /, when Taylor was murdered, were
away from her house for a time early
that night, and, retiring, stayed up all
night"
The police stated Kirby and Calvert
were no strangers to them. Mrs. Rupp
said M hau Of cd hot he cfv
came here from Chicago several months
ago and had been engaged in peddiing
contraband drugs and liquors.
Shortly before Taylor was slain, ac-
cording to the police, restatement of Mrs.
Rupp's story, two OF the six men re-
turned to her home and told her:
He double crossed US: wouldn't pay
for the booze we brought him, we'll get
The felony charge pending against
Sands was said to have been the result
of information provided by Tiffany, who
was employed by Taylor while Sands al
so served the director.
The six men in custody were caught in
a raid at Mrs. Rupp's home. Police were
holding them incommunicado tonight.
According to the police. Mrs. Rupp d.
rectly charged two Of the men with the
murder of Taylor. The officers quoted
her as saying Kirby and Calvert had
the we're going &c kill him" The
name of the di-Sotor was not spoken,
however. it was stated Mrs Rupp said
she dismissed the threat from her mind
until the day after the murder. Then,
she said, while she and two men were at
dinner, she suddenly cried out to enc CT
them;
you are the man Who giled Taylor"'
HE turned perfectly white an5 sagged
in his chair" Mrs. RupD was quoted
Then he said: Good God, don't say that
again. Don't ever mention that again"
II never did," Mrs. Rupp was said to
have continued. but during the next
two weeks, one man would frequently
come running into the house and hide in
his room. Once he said TO me. the bulls
are after me- Help me hide"
Mrs. Rupp was said to have given the
police the names of an alleged bootlegger
from whom the six men were reported
to have obtained the liquor they were
charged with having sold. The officers
were said to be searching for this man.
The arrests today revived the theory
brought forward several times and as
often said to have been discarded, that
Taylor was slain because OF his alleged
activities against narcotic ring il was
even declared that the officers had prac-
tically proved the director once engaged
in a physical encounter with drug ped
der he caught negotiating with an ae-
tress friend.
A detective from the district attorneys
office said officers would pay another
visit to Mabel Normand, film actress,
who recovered from what her physi-
clans recently declared was a severe at
tack of influenza and nervous break
down.
Miss NormaRd recently closed her Los
Angeles residence and took a house in
Alta Dena. suberb of Pasadena.