Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-01-05

SHOOTING VICTIM;
CONDITION CRAVE
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3. - Mabel
| Normand, film star, involved in the
CORTLAND Dimes sensational shooting
of New Years evening, was operated
on today in the Good Samaritan hos
pital for chronic appendicitis.
News Of the operation was obtain
although the superintendent office
denied knowledge of it and the at
tending physicians could not be
reached.
At the same time came informal
reports that the condition of Dimes
is much more serious than the hos
pital announced. The wealthy young
man is said to be suffering from
critical pneumonia, caused by the
bullet blowing its way through his
lung. His breathing is becoming
more labored and painful, it was UNI
derStoOd.
Mystery surrounds the attending
physicians desire to keep Informal
ton of Miss Normand's condition
such a secret. Dr. Guy Cochran, one
of the surgeons of Miss Normand's
bedside, even refused to discuss the
nature of her ailment.
"That is a personal matter, and J
cannot talk about it, he said.
MOTIVE STILL A PUZZLE
IN HOLLYWOOD SHOOTING
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3.-What
drove Mabel Normand's chauffeur
to shoot CORTLAND S. Dimes, Den
yer oil operator and clubman, in
Dimes apartment here New Year s
night, in the presence Of Miss Nor
mand and another motion picture
actress, Edna Purviance, today was
a matter of which those most init
mately concerned in the shooting
seemed utterly unable to agree.
Horace ~. NTItCL, Inc Cilc1dIAO ti
also known as Joe Kelly, still IN
sisted that he put a bullet through
Dimes lung in self defense. The pc
lice seemed equally positive that in.
fatuatlon for Miss Normand, coupled
with an ambition to be her hero
and protector, led Gree to shoot
when baked in his effort to res
cue" the actress from Dimes.
Miss Normand, ignoring her chauf-
feur's self defense plea, ridiculed
the police theory of infatuation with
Impossible" The man must have
been insane, she said.
Dimes, lying on his cot at the
Good Samaritan hospital, said lie
didn't know "why in the world that
breath declared, che must have
been full Of hop"
The theory advanced by Miss
PurViance was that Greer was zoos
ishly jealous enough to have shot
any man he might have found in
the apartment with Miss Normand
that night.
Mabel Suffers Breakdown
But while Greer remained in the
city Jail on charge of assault
with a deadly weapon; Dimes was
said to be recovering at the Good
Samaritan hospital. Miss Normand
was in the same hospital suffering
from what her physicians termed A
nervous breakdown brought on by
excitement and worry; and Miss PuT-
Vance was resting at home after
announcing that reports of her en-
gagement to Dimes was not entire
ly unfounded.
f'Mr. Dimes and I were engaged
and yet we were not engaged, if
you understand what L mean," she
told newspaper men last night, eX-
planning that while the Denver man
had "never given me an engage
ment ring, there was an understand
ing between US that we would be
married.
II am not ashamed to say that
1 am most terribly fond of him,
she added.
Charles Chaplin, who starred
Miss PurViance recently in a picture
of his direction, and who was re-
ported to have decided to use her
as feminine lead in his next comedy,
announced today that it is possible
some one else may take the role, but
denied that the publicity arising
from the Dimes shooting would in
fluence his choice.
1T was unfortunate for Miss
Purviance to be there" he said, "but
l certainly wouldn't discharge her
for something for which she is not
in the least to blame. Such thing
might happen to anyone"
Officials OF the Senett Studios
here, with whom Miss Normand has
been working under one picture
agreement, declined to say whether
or not her connection with the shoot
ing would have any effect on sched-
uled showings of her pictures
throughout the country or on pos
sible future agreements with Senett.
Different Stories Told
Both Miss Normand and Miss
Purviance related their versions of
the shooting yesterday, as did Dimes.
while Greer reiterated what he told
the police Tuesday night, namely.
that Dimes had interferred with his
efforts to assist Miss Normand out
of the Denver mans apartment and
was about to hit him with a bottle
when shot.
Dimes branded the chauffer's
statement as a lie.
THAT fellow lies when he says
( reached for bottle. If he annoyed
( me I'd crush him with my hands.
| He just turned the gun on me and
( shot
Miss Normand had Just breezed
over TO my apartment" on the aft
/ ernoon of New Years day, he eX-
planned, and Miss Purviance was
/ there. too.
Miss Normand took it into her