The New York herald., 1922-02-16
CHAUFFEUR
in TAYLOR SLAYING
Detectives Seek Clew From
Driver of Mabel Nor
mand's Car.
NEAR VICTIMS HOME
Details of ACTRESSES Last
Visit RetOld With Scenes
Before Him.
NEAR VICTIMS HOME
FOUR CRANKS CONFESS
District Attorney Admits No
Headway-Sheriff Is Sure
Woman Did Shooting.

Special Dispatcn TO The NEW YORK HERALD.
Los ANGELES Feb. 15.--William
Davis. Mabel Normand's chauffeur
was questioned again to-day. He went
cut 20 the home of the late William
Desmond Taylor, half way between
the center of the city and Hollywood
and with the actual scene before him
told detectives what he knew of the
proceedings there on the night that
Taylor was murdered.
The detectives in this instance were
Under Sheriff Eugene Biscaluz and
Deputy Sheriff Frank Dewar The
Sheriff's office is the one OF three of
the city's official crime investigating
agencies which believes something
may be gained by keeping in touch
with the chauffeur as new information
is received.
There is nothing to indicate that the
Sheriff's men are any the wiser as a
result of to-day's session with Davis.
With the same apparent frankness that
has characterized his demeanor from
the start Davis told exactly the Same
story that he gave to the District At
torney just after the murder. He tod
of driving Miss Normand to the apart
ment court in South Alvarado street, of
reaching there about 715, of seeing
Miss Normand disappear into the court
in the direction of Taylor's home. of her
temperance with Taylor after about
half an hour, of her chatting with Tay-
lor for moment at the curb and of the
actresses waving good-by as the car
moved off.
Repeats the Same story.
He also told how Harry Peavey, Tay-
lors butler, left the house while Miss
Normand was still there, and of stopping
to pass q word with him beside the
automobile. This conversation, Davis
said to-day. was brief, for as he comes
from the South, he explained. it is not
his habit to exchange idle gossip witC
Southerners of darker due.
Davis pointed out just where the car
stood and where Miss Normand alighted.
He then repeated his disclaimer of any
knowledge of the shooting or of any pos
sble motive for It. Taylor, 1t is believed.
was killed within the half hour after
Miss Normand left his home 1t is be-
cause she was the last person with the
exception Of the murderer to see him
alive, because of the finding of her in
nocuous letters in the Taylor home and
because Of her long standing friendship
and admiration for Taylor that she has
been mentioned SO frequently in Los An
geles dispatches since the day an as
sassin shot the motion picture director in
the back.
AS to real developments in the Taylor
case there aren't any. There continues
to be endless gossip and circulation OF
stories which find ready listeners among
the depraved and the gullible, but the
truth about this investigation is that 1t
has TO date got nowhere. This was
frankly reported to THE New YORK HER
AID correspondent to-day by all the re-
sponsible persons concerned.
Several Detectives I'm Bed.
II is obviously the most undecipher-
able mystery that Los Angeles has
known in years. In addition to their
other troubles the investigators are be-
ing bowled out by the flu. which has
not spared Los Angeles even though the
advertised sunshine has returned to this
flooded and frosted cline.
District Attorney woolwine has three
men assigned exclusively to the Taylor
case Sheriff William I. Traeger and
the head of the police detectives Capt
Adams, three each. But at least a third
Of these men are In bed with influenza,
which is rumored to have been brought
here by some jealous wretch from the
East. Much is expected as an investiga-
tor of Charles Jones. former police chief
of Los Angeles. who has just been added
to the District Attorneys force to work
on the Taylor murder. He acquired local
celebrity as a crime wizard by proving
that Louise Peet killed n man named
Denton here year and half ago and
sending her to San Quentin prison for
life william A. Pinkerton. head, of the
detective agency, Is lowering around.
but he and the film producers join a
denial that he Is trying to catch the
Taylor murderer.
Mr.. Pinkerton says he came to the
coast on another matter. District At
torney Woolwine said to-day that his
Investigation was just wnere Il started,
that all the leads" had come TO moth
ing He apparently has no theory as to
the motive or identity of the murderer
He apparently has discarded the notion
that narcotic drugs or drug peddler
had anything to do with II. He has
talked with many close friends of Tay-
lor including several film actresses, and
X.
does not appear to be the fact, he has
waded through miles of deep sush with
out arriving at any firm ground of sus-
picion. The Sheriffs office, on the other
had. has n theory.
This is that the motive was jealousy
and that Taylor was killed by a woman
but he will not go so far as to say who
he thinks the woman may be. The
Sheriff. TraeRer, is one of the States
picturesque figures. He was a great
tackle at Stanford University twenty
years ago, and later coach o. cham
pionship football teams in southern
California.
Police Have Similar View.
The police also incline to the belief
that woman killed Taylor. but their
reasons for this do not carry conviction
70 the plain citizen. They base It
largely on the letters found in Taylor's
home although these. so far ms the
public knows, did not convey any idea
of threats from any source.
No end of letters from cranks are
pouring into the three investigating Of
fees Police Captain Adams says II beats
anything in his nineteen years expert
ence. He has time TO read only few
of them. The strange fact Is that none