New Britain herald., 1930-01-06
Ex-Convict Found Who Visited Victims House With Member of Mar cotic Ring-Claims Drug Plot Linked With Case Names His Suspect.

Copyright. 193o, by United Press) san Francisco, Jan. 6 (UP) Otis Y Hefner, missing key witness in the William Desmond Taylor murder mystery, was found today by the United Press.
 Hefncr is the man who former Governor Friend William Richard son said had revealed to him the name of the person who murdered the famous motion picture director in February, 1922.
 He is believed to be the man to whom Buron Fitts, Los Angeles dis trict attorney, referred two weeks ago when he said:
 We have reconstructed the scene of the killing and we have built an almost perfect case. Only one link remains to be flled.'
 Repeats Disclosures
 Found by George F. Powers, q reporter for the United Press, lief ner repeated and amplifed the dis closures made to the governor and the state prison board secretly in 1926, which resulted in his release from Folsom penitentiary to save his life.
 These disclosures, intended by the governor for presentation 10 the Los Angeles grand jury, leaked ort pre- maturely and, in the opinion of the state parole board, placed Hefner in danger of assassination at the hands of members of the dope ring in prison.
 Found in civil life under another name, supporting his invalid wife and baby, Hefner answered these di- rect questions put to him by the United Press:
 Q.-Do you know anything of the murder of William Desmond Fay Tor?
 A.-Ycs.
 Q.-Do you know who committed the murder?
 A-Yos.
 Q.-Who was it?
 A-G1e named motion picture celcbrity).
 Q.-HOW do you know this?
 Was in Narcotic Ring
 Al was mixed up along with Edward Sands, formerly employed by Taylor, in a narcotic ring in Southern California. Sands was de- livering dope to Taylor. The night Taylor was murdered I went with sands to Taylor's house. We saw ---- ---- leaving the premises. and few minutes later Sands dis covered Taylor's body.
 Q,-When was this?
 A.-About ? a. m., February 9, 1922.
 Q.-Do you know Of any motive for the murder?
 A.-Ycs. l heard direct threats against Taylor's life because he had turned "rat" and was informing on the dope ring. Also Sands told me that Taylor was in trouble because of his love affairs.
 Q.-Have you ever told this to officials?
 A.-Yes, in 1926 I made a full statement for Governor Richardson to Thomas M. Cannon and other of ilcials of the state prison board and offered to appear before the Los Angeles grand jury.
 Hetner, tall, lean and bronzed, asserted that since his release from Folsom penitentiary he had been attempting to rcestablish himself as a good citizen.
 still Willing to Talk
 I'm still willing to go before the Los Angeles jury and tell what I know, to clear ID this cight-ycar-o mystery" he said.
 T hope it can be donc-if it is absolutely ncccssary-wi without sub JcctlnS my wife to humiliation. ana sacrificing the place I've now won back by three years of hard work and no play. l don't want to be known as an CX-con. My new idcn- llty IS clean. I've worked hard to make it so.'
 His complete statement, made to the United Press and signed by him. is as follows:
 T came out of Texas. a green and uncducated young fellow in my twenties, and got in with a bad bunch in Southern California. They were smarter than I was. and alto Sether too fast company for me, but l was useful to them in doing odd jobs and 1 can see now they carried me along to make me the goat.
 This clique was primarily cngag- cd Tn the dope racket. There was lot or money in it.
 They got the stuff off the boats at San Pedro and cleared it through a pharmacy in Los Angeles.
 One of these crooks was Edward Sands, who ostensibly worked as q chauffeur and valet for William Desmond Taylor. Actually Taylor was distributing q lot of 'hvpe' to people in the movie business. includ- Ing - --. (Again naming