The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1922-02-09
HUNT ACTRESS IN
TAYLOR MURDER
Los Angeles Police Working on
New Clews in Staying
Of Movie Director.
VICTIMS REAL NAME TANNER
--latest Woman Said to Have Been In
tIussteiy Associated With Slain
Man 10 Out Of the city-Polics
Seek Former Valet.


Der OF possible clews. with suspicion
directed chiefly toward motIon-plc-
ture actress. and through her, toward
another motion-picture director, both
of whose names they declined TO make
public, were said 10 he In possession
OF the police In their effort to catch
the siayer OF william Desmond Taylor,
film director. whose true name. II was
alleged. was william Deane Tanner.
The latest motion picture actress to
be drawn Into the investigation. said
at one time to have been intimately
associated with Taylor, was under
stood to be out OF the city. but the
police gave no intimation as to the
whereabouts Of the director whose
name was linked with hers In the sto-
ries told the detectives by number
of persons nt an inquiry extending
over several hours.
stiii Seek Former Valet
While efforts were being made ny
the officers to locate the actress and
the director. II was understood the Int
est angle TO the Investigation would
not cnuse them To relax their search
for Edward r. Sands. Taylor's former
valet, said also 10 be known as Ed
ward Fitz Strathmore and alleged 10
he de~crter from the army.
The closer the scrutiny into the NE
Of the dead director. the more con-
firmed some OF the detectives said be-
came their original theory that the
motive OF the crime was revenge. with
jealousy as the probable direct cause.
This review OF Taylor's friendships
and activities was said to have brought
the police into close acquaintance with
his compa nionship with n number of
motion-picture actresses. including.
among the most prominent. Mabel Nor
mand. Mary Miles Minter and Claire
Windsor.
Claire Windsor Recent Acquaintance.
Miss Normand is said TO have ad-
mitted, as did Neva Gerber. another
Aim actress. that Taylor once had been
engaged to her while Miss Minter also
In said to have enjoyed the directors
close friendship nj one time. II was
only week before his death. however.
according 20 Miss Windsor's mother
thnt the latter took her first nutomo-
bile ride and dinner with Taylor. The
police plan TO interview Miss Windsor,
as they have the other actresses. In
their search for possible clews. as soon
as she returns from trip into the
country. where she Is said 10 be con
location" with Marshall Neilan. d.
rector"
Many stories have been brought to
the police by neighbors of Taylor and
his former employees concerning the
neighborhood happenings he night of
the crime and the directors recent
comings and goings friends and ussu-
ciates, telephone calls and various So
cial activities
The Motion Picture Directors AS
,sociation. of whtrh Taylor was elected
president three times. has formed a
special investigating committee to help
the police in every possible way TO
solve the mystery of the directors
death. Mai. Maurice Campbell was
chosen head OF the committee.
What was said 10 be "a large auto
mobile of striking appearance" seen
near the Taylor apartments the night
Of the Staying, Is understood TO be
receiving some attention from the do
tectives.
EFT elaekmaii Theory.
Another question is whether black
mail was an element In the crime. II
a said to be considered possible the
slayer attempted to extort money from
Taylor and when refused or threat
ened with arrest shot to kill. An open
check book on Taylor's writing desk.
with pen near by, found when the
body was discovered, might, In the
opinion of the detectives. have been
part of plan Of the director TO stall
until the police could arrive.
Another phase they are consider
ing Is whether Taylor might have
feared for his life. From some sources
the detectives were said to have
gained the information that for few
days before his death Taylor had
seemed uneasy about something.
Henry Peavy. his negro houseman. told
the police that Taylor. who usually
used his automobile. left his apart
ments on foot Wednesday afternoon. a
few hours before he was slain. and
was absent considerable period.
I'VE are going TO check every pos
sible angle of this case" said Detec'
tive Sergeant Herman Cline. "Ws
have received a great many conflicting
reports. and Il Is 4 large task to dis
tinguish and sin the important from
the trivial"
r,ha .s.ssmsnt hat Taylor's nam.