Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-01-03
MABEL NOR|MAND' S
CHAUFFEUR IS HELD
FOR SHOOTING WAN
Wealthy Oil Man Likely to
Recover, Surgeons Say,
Edna Purviance Displays
Sentiment at Bedside

quaintance, according to the police
were the motives that prompted Joe
Kelly, alias H. A. Greer to shoot
CORTLAND S. Dimes, of Denver, last
night in the presence OF Mabel Nor
mand and Edna Purviance.
Officers working, on the case made
this statement as they were leaving
for Miss Normand's residence tc
question Mrs. Burns, companion OF
the film actress home from the Dimes
apartment.
Greer is being held by the police
on charge of attempted murder
but the officers declare no action will
be taken with regard to the two ac
tresses present at the shooting "u3
less there are further developments.
Good Glance to Recover
Dimes has good chance for recov.
cry, according to attending physi
clans. The bullet from the 25 cali
Der pistol used by Greer, but said to
belong to Miss Normand, entered his
body above the heart and came out
his back
Dimes. a Denver oil operator, was
conscious anG seemed certain he viii
recover. lie again declared tod2y
that Greer story of the Ghoo!lnS
Was false. He denied tie chauffeur s
statement as given out by this Police
the.- he had made any threatening
~ II
also reiteratej his denial that lie
and Ass purv;ance wee ENGAGED to
he married
On this subject he remarked: Miss
Eurviance md l are simply close
tTia ids
Greer according t. the Police, has
been in Miss Normand's employ only
six months. He is said o have come
hero from New York where nc alS(,
worked us u chauffeur.
Freely Admits Shooting
Kelly freely admitted the shoot;
ing, according to the police, even
going out of his way to bring them
the pistol, and announce:
II just shot man"
Dimes, Miss Normand and Miss
Edna Purviance, motion picture
actress, were spending the afternoon
and evening of a chilly New Year S
day in the Denver mans apartment
here, when Kelly appeared and in
sisted that Miss Normand leave with
him. He had been sent to take her
home, he told police.
An argument is said to have
arisen, and Miss Normand at first
refused to go home. Then she
changed her r,ind, according TO the
chauffeur. and allowed him to lead
her toward the dOo:.
But Dimes 60 up and started to
grab bottle" Kelly is said to have
told the police, land that's where
the trouble started. l just shot him
l was so nervous the darn gun kept
on shooting. 1t fired three shots, /
think, and tanned"
Both Miss Normand and Miss Pur-
Vance were much distressed over
the shooting. Police found them at
the apartment endeavoring to rem
der frs aid. Both Of the youns
women were held for questioning
and later released, after an affec-
Tomato scene in the receiving hos
pital, where Miss Purviance rushed
over to Dimes cot and implored him
not to die He assured her he would
not die. The surgeon had said the
wound in his left lung would MOI
prove fatal.
Miss Norman looked in upon the
receiving hospital and shook a re-
proving finger at him, with the
words:
I'm not going to play with you
any more. Look at the nOtOriety
I'm going to get out of this
Retrothal RumOred
Later the three ewere confronted
with reports that Miss Purviance
and Dimes were engaged, though no
one intimated that this had anything
to do with the shooting.
Miss Purviance declined to discuss
the reports; Miss Normand insisted
! they were true, and Dimes denied
them .flatly.
In the captain of detectives office
at central police station the two
actresses and the chauffeur were
questioned eXhaustiVely.
! Miss Normand said she did not
realize at first what the pistol shots
meant.
Jealousy was advanced by investiga.
! tors as the probable motive.
! There doesn't seem to be any
/ other possible motive" Captain OF
! Detectives Herman Cline, who has
investigated many movie scandals,
declared.
Miss Normand and Edna Pur-
Vance, who admitted they were in
the apartment when the shooting
took place, were reported near a
breakdown and denied themselves to
visitors.
I'VE have sifted this whole affair
as thoroughly as time would permit, "
Cline said. I'VE can find no possible
motive other than that Kelly was in
fatuateUt by Hiss Normand and shot
Dimes when he found her enjoying
the Saiety OF an informal party in
Dimes apartment and when she
demonstrated at his request that
she leave With him"
Officers said they would probably
withhold any additional questioning
of Miss Normand or Miss Purviance
today owing TO the reported condi-
ton of the two stars of filmdom.
\ detective lieutenant interrupted
to ask Kelly whether il was in fear
of his own life or a desire TO protect
his employer that he shot Dimes.
Feared for Life
1T was fear for my own life" said
the chauffeur 4 knew Dimes was
going to take that bottle and smash
me. I shot him to protect myself.
He didn't make much fuss about it,
but 1 saw what he was going to do,
all right. He was just going to do
1t nice and easy.
Mabel Normand is sick with ap-
/ pend.citis," he said. and should be
in the hospital. 1 tried to get her
/ 1WaN from Dimes and he Wouldn I