Omaha daily bee., 1922-02-06
Officials
.Baffled in
Film Case
Tangle of Tips aud Clues
Tends to Deepen Mystery
Surrounding Staying of
Movie Director.
Search All But Hopeless
BY EDWARD DoHERTY.
Omaha Nee Leased Wire.

Los Angeles. Feb. s,-The mur-
der OF William Desmond Taylor,
film director OF national reputation.
may never be solved,
Scores Of sleuths are working on
tie ease, but there are many battling
angles. many clues that lead no.
where. many tips that serve only 10
TO cloud the identity OF the man
who fired the shot. aud the mystery
grows more complex every minute.
The detectives are still looking Tor
Edward Il. Sands, former valet and
friend OF the slain director. Tor
man known as a broker. Tor another
director, for a number OF hop ped.
dlers.
Twenty men aud women are un.
der suspicion. Twenty theories arc
being entertained. But not one ar
rest has been made. not single
valuable clue has been uncarthed,
aud the search has become all but
hopeless.
City Near Crisis.
The murder mystery has brought
the city virtually 10 crisis.
There arc hundreds OF substantial
citizens who sec in the ease. tho iron
land OF the moving picture giant.
holding down the curtain that the
police and newspapers would lift.
They believe the movie interests
would spend millions OF dollars not
TO catch the murderer, but 10 pre-
vent the truth from coming out, TO
avcrt the exposure OF Hollywood, TO
squelch, before it is born, the scan
dal OF the century.
Taylor. who seems TO have desert
c his wife and baby some IA years
ago, who lived under an alias. who
surrounded himself with people OF
doubtful character-mcn who sew.
crochet, and cmbroider. women OF
queer reputation--and who lived the
typical life of the movie director as
pictured III all the gossip OF the
studios was the Saint OF Hollywood,
according TO his friends.
Movie World Prefers Silence.
Men and women who knew him
say he was charming gentleman,
above rcproach.
1t is quite true that the movie
world would prefer TO have this case
filandied' in silence, even ignored.
Associates regret the deatl, OF Tay-
lor sincerely, but they feel the least
said about it the better.
They fear the world may come TO
know all about the little parties that
help 10 relieve the tedium of studio
life, the unconventional companions
ship between extra girls and sssis-
tant movie directors.
They fear that the movie patrons
may learn how "Tilic Hopscotch"
who played the sweet country girl in
the latest Blal release, entertains
her friends by dressing them all in
silk iimonos. irrespective OF their
her friends by dressing them all III
silk kimonos, irrespective OF their
gender. and squats them down in
circle to drink orange juice, gin.
beer and ether, or some other queer
mixture with a kick.
Orange juice and gin is the fav-
orite tipplc OF many a dear, lovely
child of the screen. Ether and beer
are considered the portion OF heal
thv man"
Hollywood is content with itself.
its morals, its views OF lie. It
wants no change. 1t wants no cllas-
tiscmcnt. 1t wants to go on.
Movie Bosses In Power.
The movie bosses are in power in
Los Angeles.
They have been able SO far TO keep
down the blinds. Did an exposure
threaten, they vowed to Ieac Los
Angeles, bag and baggage. Los
Angeles can i'll afford to lose tho
mvillions OF dollars spent and in
vested by the movies.
If the movies leave Los Angeles,
the city will suffer.
Even now the police are seeking to
round up five peddlers of drugs, who
have been in many a movie stars
bungalow, who know sinister things
about the cinema world. who may
know something of the murder.
Its terrible" said one OF the stars
today. "Alreadv the people are be-
ginning to think us lot of morons,
degcnerates. If this keeps UP | sup
pose they'll put us behind barbed
wire and throw raw meat to us and
put up signs reading, Don't feed the
animals"
Many Studies Closed.
The scandal is breaking, too, at
particularly inopportnnc time for
those of the movie colony. Many
studios have closed temporarily.
Many actors and actresses are out
OF work, living on such credit as
they can get. They have saved moth
ing. When they had money they
spent it for CAV clothes, for music,
for parties, and they haunt the Of
fices of the casting direetor-they.
begging for the chance to play even
small bit. anything at all. Some of
them, who have been featured, would
even delight 10 get into mob scene.
Those now at work are receiving
reduced wages. trying to live up to
their old salaries.
The police are getting soant infor-
nation from the movie colony abou.
The real character of the dead man,
about his friends, his enemies, abou,
any possible motives for the mur-
der.
The police are worl hard. but
they are under ter ~ ~ handicap.
They must deal gently with the
stars. Some OF the police are friends
OF the big actors and actresses; have
taken money from them as wages for
in certain pictures. The
police arc not going TO question