Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-11
MISS NORlNAND IN
MOVIES ~ YEARS

Los Angeles. Feb. IL Despite as =
sertions Of her physicians that she wns
In ptiful state Of health, Mabel Nor
mand. actress. last night appeared at
District Attorney WoolwIne's Office in
response to q summons to tell her story
of happenings preceding the murder of
William Desmond Taylor. film director,
In his apartments shortly after she left
him week ago Wednesday. She ap-
peared very nervous.
1t is known that the District Attor
nov spent much time yesterday in ex.
amining the blessed baby" and dear
lnby' letters which she wrote to Taylor
and for which. according 70 her story
now, she called on the director lust
before the crime
Mabel Normand has been known in
motion pictures for more than twelve
years. first entering this field in New
York after previous experience as Il
chorus girl ana model Comcdy bur
lesquc was her early experience. under
direction OF Mack Sennett, to whom
she has been engaged and under whose
direction she now is and has remained
practically the whole of her career.
For many years in the ''slapstick com
pdy' she was a stage companion #
Roscoe c. Arbuckle, Fred Mace and
Ford Sterling.
Yesterdays operations included the
following
A visit to the scene of the crime by
Woolwine in person, accompanied bv
n. G. Jesserun. owner Of the Alvarndo
street bungalow, and Amand Fischer.
Woolwine's chauffeur. where, employ
ing Fischer to imrersonate TAYLOR,
Jessprun explained to the District At
torney all of the circumstances under
which the body had been found.
Seeking Safe Deposit
Redoubling efforts on the part of n =.
detectives to locate a second safe de.
posit box belonging to Taylor, which
Il ;s assumed may he found to contain
a will. as well as letters or other docu
ments that may furnish some clue to q
motive for the murder of the film
director.
Renewed analysis os the letters writ :.
ten to Taylor by Mabel Normand. the
dlm star, letters which 30 mysteriously
were found after having been missing
from the Taylor bungalow for nearly a
week.
Renewed analysis of the statement
made several days ago by Deputy Dis.
trict Attorney Doran by Mary Miles
Ninter, the motion picture star. vino
cy her own admission was madly IN
love with Taylor. This statement
W0olwine admitted. thus far has failed
10 furnish any material pointing either
directly or indirectly to the commtter
Of the crime.
Specific inquiry into all of the an.
tecedents of Walter Underwood. alb.
sconding employe of the Pacific Elec.
trio Railways, who arter his arrest yes
terday in Topeka boastcd of his nc.
quaintance with Sanos and Of having
hobnobbed with stars Of the film word
including Mabel Normand and Mary
Miles Mnter. as we'll as of ncquain
tance with Taylor.
4. Tragic Scene Re. enacted
Dramatic in the extreme was tn,
scene enacted yesterday at the Taylor
bungalow Fischer. Woolwinp's chauf.
feur, lay upon the floor, impersonatin.
in death the murdered film director a,
he lay when found by Peavey. his Negro
valet. Jessurun had been one Of tn,
first to arrive upon the scene whel
the murder was discovered on the morn
ing Of February .. He saw to it yes
terday that the position of the chauf
feur's body corresponded in every detail
10 that which had been 1aylor's, AM
that all of the furniture was placed TX
actly as it had been found.
Woolwine. after making the closes
inspection of the premises, gave ofiicia
utterance, for the first time. to the the
cry that the murderer, man or woman
was concealed in the bungalow at tn
time that Mabel Normand and Taylo
we're engaged in conversation.
He or she may have been upstair
in the bedroom, have overheard the talk
and upon Taylor's return from the curb
whittier he had escorted Mabel Nor
mand to her waiting car, have shot hin
down.
This theory, untenable il the publi
statements made by Peavey are correct
to the effect that he was there AN
knew that no one else could have entere
without his knowledge, gave rise a
once to the belief that information q
o different nature had been wrung fror
the Negro when he was quizzed b
5 Woolwine.