Arizona republican., 1922-02-06
OFFICERS QUIZ ACTOR
HELD AS SUSPECT IN
Lbs ANGELES MURDER
Oluner of Automobile Seen Near Taylor Home
Wednesday Night Is Unable To Explain
Movements Night Of Crime-Ordered To
Keep In Touch With Police Officers
rRepubIlcan a. b. Leased Mirel

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 5--A motion
picture actor, termed sby police and
deputy sheriffs "a suspect" in con-
nection with the murder here last
Wednesday nightlof William Des-
mond Taylor, was taken into custody
tonight, taken to the scene OF the
Staying and later released. with i'm
structions to keep in touch with the
officers.
The name OF the actor was not
made public by either the deputy
sheriffs who took him into custody,
or the police who joined the deputies
and the suspect" at the apartment
OF the dead director and participated
in a reenactment Of the crime as
they understood IL.
When the actor was found by tho
deputies and taken to the county jail
for questioning so hurriedly that he
had not the time TO take the makeup
oft his face, two other employees OF q
motion picture company also were
taken into custody as witnesses in
connection with his detention. After
long questioning 1t was stated the
actor was unable to say exactly
where he was at the time the officers
believe Taylor was shot. Then he
was taken to the Taylor apartment,
took place.
Although the police did not so an
nounce, II was understood no person
who had seen a man lurking about
the Taylor home Wednesday night
was able to identify the actor as that
man. 1t was after that development
that the actor was released, with in
structions to keep In close communi-
cation with the detectives.
The actor and the other two men.
who, II was said. might yet be wanted
as material witnesses were taken into
custody as the result of information
that an automobile, said to resemble
one owned by the suspected man.
was seen near the Taylor home tho
night OF the crime.
Auto Near Taylor Home
The actor was said to have admit
ted ownership of the automobile, but
denied that he was the man Mrs.
Douglas MacIlean. wife OF q film
actor, and her maid. said they had
seen leaving the Taylor home. After
he was released, the deputies and the
police detectives. with some officials
or the motion picture company With
which Taylor was connected, began
In Taylor's apartment, a rechecking
Of letters and documents found there.
One OF the two men taken as ma
terial witnesses was a camera man.
The occupation Of the other was not
made public. They also were re-
leased. The story OF Henry Peavey,
Taylor's negro houseman that VIII
liam Desmond Taylor, slain film di-
rector had kept in his apartment q
woman's pink silk night robe which
has been missing since Taylor was
slain, received support from the po-
lice tonight.
While the officers declined TO say
how much of their attention they
were giving to this phase OF the in-
vestigation, they stated that Earl
Tiffany. formerly chauffeur for
Taylor, had given them information
of a similar nature.
Tiffany was said to have told the
police that Edward f. Sands, Taylors
former butler told him OF how the
butler had spied on Taylor and thus
had found in his apartment large
number of pieces of silken underwear
unknown in a mans waSdrobe.
Butler Spied On Taylor
According to Tffany's story. to the
police, Sands said his curiosity was
aroused. so he folded the garments ia
a trick" manner and. noting the way
they were folded the next day he be-
came convinced the director did not
keep them in ihs apartment for senti-
mental reasons.
The search for Edward f. Sands,
missing butler of William u. Taylor.
continued to be the most important
element Of their investigation of Tay-
lor's death, police said today.
Checking OF the various angles or
the case among members of the mo-
ton picture colony and other friends
and acquaintances of Taylor almost
Invariably resulted in some develop
ment in which Sands name was NELL
toned, according to detectives. Ex-
plantations of this situation are re-
garded as vital to the case in its pres
ent stage.
The police said they had several
clues TO Sands whereabouts. but thus
far these had resulted in disappoint-
ments.
Henry Peavey, valet Of Taylor, who
found his employers body, came 70
police headquarters again today and
was questioned by detectives for q
half hour. 1t IS understood he was
asked for more detailed information
concerning the arrangement OF Tay-
lor's furniture and other belongings 81
the apartments where he was shot.
Detectives would not state whether
Peavey's examination had thrown any
light on the case.
Two other men, whose names Were
not divulged also we're questioned at
police headquarters. but under what
was not disclosed. one
of these men departed with detec-
tives who said they were going 10
check up on an angle OF the case that
previously had been under investiga-
ton but they declined TO be more
specific.
The whereabouts OF letters which
Miss Mabel Normand. motion picture
actress. said she had written Taylor
and which she said We're missing from
his apartments, continued TO be q p
matter Of speculation today. II is
believed that these letters and other
papers could have been removed at
ter Taylor's body was found last
morning some time during
the period when the house was un-
guarded while IL was believed he had
died Of natural causes.
Miss Normand first called atten-
tion 70 the absence OF the letters,
which she said she had seen in the
apartments a few days before tho
murder. She said she knew Of no
reason why anyone should want them
and that She would be willing TO have
published anything they contained.
Al Manning, head Of the criminal
inyestiga ton department OF the sher-
ifCs office, and several deputies were
absent most of the day ON q mission
MIA the Staying, Upon