The New York herald., 1922-02-13
TAYLOR'S EX-WIFE
DOUBTS SON CLAIM
Continued from First Page.

director was his father, and that the
director had married and deserted his
mother. was chara acterized as rather i'm
probable by Mrs. Edward l.. C. Robins.
Taylors former wife. yesterday at her
home at Orienta Point. Mamaroneck.
indication that the man who says the
slain director was his father intends to
contest the claim OF Ethel Daisy Deane-
Tanner. Taylor's daughter by his first
marriage. was given on Saturday when
the police OF San Francisco announced
that Taylor would appear before the
Public Administrator and District Attor-
ney to tell his story.
The statements made by the claimant
say the motion picture director, using
the name of Taylor. married Olive Ran
dali at Wallace. Kan, about 1890 and
after moving to Laramie Wyo., a son
was born; that In a short time after the
birth of the child Taylor deserted his
wife and baby. and that the wife died
in Cheyenne In 1902
Mrs. Robins. who married William
Cunningham Deane-Tanner, or William
Desmond Taylor. as he was later known.
in 1902. said her former husband had
spent some time on pony ranch in
southwestern Kansas before she met him
in New York. The only information she
had ever had was that which Deane-
Tanner gave her personally.
Former Wife Doubts Claim.
"Mr. Deane-Tanper told me that when
he arrived here from Ireland he had
gone out to this ranch" Mrs. Robins
said. land his family in ireland had
bought for him a part interest in It.
When met him he referred to it and
told me flaw in the title had forced
several of the shareholders, including
himself, to give up their part, and he
then Joined the Davenport road COM
pany. After the failure of his venture
in Kansas he returned to his home in
Ireland for visit.
with reference to the claim of this
Mr.. Taylor in California that he is the
son Of the murdered director, / would
not like to say flatly that the claim is
or is not true, for knew little of Mr..
Deane-Tanner's life on the ranch in
Kansas and did not find 1t necessary to
catechize him minutely, and he never
mentioned anything to me about having
been married out there. Perhaps there
is some truth In the story, or 1t may be
another of the many persons who come
forward whenever there is an estate to
be settled. I have been interested in
the number OF persons who claim Mr..
Deane-Tanner. or Taylor, was their
father. To date he must have had at
least six or seven children besides my
own daughter If the stories are all cor
rect. AS Mr.. Deane-Tanner would only
be about fifty years old now. that is
rather ridiculous. I think"
Referring TO the criminal end Of the
case. Mrs. Robins criticized the work of
the Los Angeles detectives and prose-
cutors. saying they do not seem to be
particularly anxious to solve the mystery
of the identity of the murderer.
II have bitterly resented the accounts
printed in some OF the newspapers here
that my daughter and myself are merely
interested in the financial part of the
affair and are more interested in the
Taylor estate than in the identity of the
person VITO killed my former husband.
This is absolutely untrue. for. as Mr..
Taylors former wife. / am deeply
grieved at the terrible affair and am
anxious to see the guilty person pun
ished.''
Await Word From Los Angeles.
Returning to the discussion of the
claim OF the man who says the movie
director was his father, Mrs. Robins said
that 1t seemed improbable that her first
husband ever used the name Of Taylor
before he left New York in 1908. She
said that to old friends who knew him
when he first came to this country and
had been in constant touch with him
during his stay in Kansas nothing was
known of any marriage while he was
in the West. After that, and until he
disappeared. Mrs. Robins said. he never
used the name of Taylor. nor referred
extensively to his visit to the ranch in
the West.
IT never really knew Mr.. Deane-Tan-