The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-04
Beautiful Topeka Girl
NoD in the Movies Is
Brought into Murder Case
Had Been Companion of William Taylor, Director, Only
Few Days Before His Death-Her Early History May
Afford Clue to Aid in Unraveling Tragic Mystery.

In thei efforts to dig up some clue
that may unravel the mystery of the
death of William D. Taylor-or Will
liam Desmond Deane-Tanner as his
name now turns out to be in fact, the
detectives employed by the Los An
eeIes authorities and by the movie
magnates, are probing into every pos
sibIe phase of the screen directors
past life and are quizzing every actor
and actress with whom he was known
to have associated.
The very latest bit of information
obtained in this probe is now being
cleaned from Claire Windsor beauti-
full screen star, discovered a year and
a half ago by Lois Weber. Miss Wind
sor was known to have been his COM
panion at a dinner party quite recent
" and is being questioned regarding
everything Taylor said and did on
that occasion.
Brings Topeka Into Tragedy.
This new development brings To-
peka into the movie murder case, as
Miss Windsor is a former Topeka girl
She attended Washburn college here
in 1906 and 1907 and was well known
as one of the most. beautiful and most
popular of the college crowd. With
her sister. Nellie, she attended nearly
all the college affairs and in addition,
some of the larger ''dOwn-toWn'' par
known as Ola CrOnk. She lived with
her mother, Mrs. G.. f. Cronk, on Polk
street while attending Washburn.
After two years in attendance at
Wasaburn she left for Denver where
it was later reported that she had
married. Still later she was reported
as having been divorced from her
husband. Her local friends next heard
of her on the Pacific coast where she
had entered the movies, and a year
and a half ago she was featured by
Lois Weber and given the stage or
screen name she now bears. Miss
Windsor has a son four years old, with
whom she has posed for many beauti-
full pictures that have been published
in the screen magazines.
May Uncover Real Clue.
An angle of the case in Los Angeles
that may be the object of the quizzing
of which she is the subject is snown
in the fact that Miss Windsor, former
ly lived at Cawker City before coming
to Topeka. An actor friend of the
murdered man has already told the
detectives that Tayor lived for short
time at Harper, Kan. AS both these
towns are in western Kansas, it may
be that the detectives are trying to
link the early life of Miss Windsor
with that of the murder victim or
in some way connect him with her I'M
happy marital experiences in Denver.
A dispatch from Los Angeles this
morning stated that Miss Windsor was
with Taylor as late as a week ago
| Wednesday, when she accompanied
) him to a party at the Ambassador
| hotel in Los Angeles. Taylor called
for her at the home of her mother
and again a few days later took her
to another party.
Other Actresses Involved.
According to other dispatches, Tay-
! lor was known to have been engaged
| twice to motion picture stars, Neva
| Gerber and Mabel Normand being
named as the women in these two en-
| gagements. Each of them speak quite
| frankly about their relations with
| Taylor and Miss Gerber in one of the
dispatches is quoted as saying that the
enga cement had been broken off be-
cause they both believed it an I'M
suitable match
| Il have never known a finer better
man than Mr.. Taylor" said Miss Ger
! Der. He was the soul of honor. a
man of exceptional culture. education
and refinement. but possessing a re-
serve which very few were permitted
| to penetrate.
| 80 far as know he did not have
an enemy in the world, altho he men,