The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-17
Los Angeles Detectives Turn to
Murder Victims Past.
Hope TO Dig Up Some Clue as
to Slayer.
HAVE BEEN MANY BREAKS
Filling in the Gaps May Un-
cover Motive for Crime.
Rockford Investigator Says
Sands Was in Chicago.

Los Angeles. FEB. 17.-Beneving
that a connected history of his life
may prove an effective means Of solv-
ing the mystery OF his death. iuvesti-
gators of the murder of William Des-
mond Taylor. famous motion picture
director. today set about the task of
compiling an account of his life ac-
tivities starting with his birth at Cap
poqui. Ireland
In data now in hand there are many
breaks confusing stories and total
lack of information as TO some perl
DDS. But the authorities hope by
painstaking work and world-wide in
vestigation to supply missing facts and
check those already known.
Rechcck All Evidence.
Meanwhile. there continued minute
checking and rechecking of all the
testimony in the case so far gathered.
Today deputy sheriffs We're engaged
in investigating an apparent discrep-
ancy which arose when statements OF
William Davis. chauffeur for Mabel
Normand. and George Il. Arto, me-
chanic. were compared.
Davis drove Miss Normand's car to
the Taylor home the evening OF the
tragedy and waited outside until Tay-
Ior escorted Miss Normand to the car
He has been questioned three times
minutely. Davis told of having a brief
conversation with Henry Peavey Tay-
lor's negro servant, as he sat in the
car Arto, who says he passed by the
Taylor house that evening, insists he
saw third mana stranger-talking
to Peavey and Davis. Davis. when
questioned again last night, denied the
presence of the third man. Peavey
probably will be questioned again on
this point.
Movies Engage Investigator.
It became known today that Charles
Jones. former chief of police. who
has been active in assisting District
Attorney WoolWine in the investIga-
tion, has been retained by motion pie
, ture interests to aid in the solution
OF the mystery.
1t was reported Mack Sennett. ia
nous producer. who left today for New
York has been one of those in the in
dustry who urged employment Of pri-
vate detectives to assist the public
officials in running down the MUIR
derer.
Attaches of the district attorneys
office did not attach great significan nee
| to the questioning in Chicago of Mrs.
Mary Snyder. This step was merely
the checking on one of the thousands
of tips" received. none of which will
be overlooked. Neither did they give
credence TO a reported story of a Mex
l1can recently returned from Chihua-
'hua to the effect that he had met I'd
ward +. Sands. missing valet-secretary
of Taylor, in a small Mexican town.
Missing Stock May Be Clue
Public Administrator Bryson de-
clared that he believed he could solve
the mystery of the reported missing
oil stocks of Taylor. He said he had
in his possession 5000 shares or Atlas
OIL company and a check OF the ar
fairs Of the dead man and was inclined
to believe that this was the stock Tay-
lor had referred to when he consulted
Mrs. J. NJ. Berger. income tax expert.
Says Valet Was in Chicago.
Rockford. Ill., Feb. 17-Mrs. Mar
guerite Snyder. private investigator of
TINS city. said she would telegraph
States Attorney Grove today that she
knew nothing about the Taylor rnur-
der but that Taylor's valet was in Chi
caso last September posing as able to
get girls into the movies