Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-07-19

T'XX
| conflict. Presumably. Peavey
called Lasky studios, where Tay-
lor was employed. and Jessurum
called police. It seems, from all
accounts, that certain represen-
tatives including Charles Eyton,
Lasky general manager. arrived
early. Harry Fellows, for one, was
to tell officers Of certain letters
that were removed from Taylor's
bedroom.
Indeed, the first physician on
the scene thought it was a nat
ural death. A coroner's man
found the bullet hole.
Investigators noted no sign of
robbery. Taylor had $74 in his
pocket and wore nearly $4,000
worth of jewelry.
Miss Normand, called by Edna
Purviance, fastened to the
scene and demanded certain let
tiers she had sent to Taylor: she
said she knew exactly where
they were. But officers didn't
find them. and it was some time
before they did catch up with
them.
However, they did run across
handkerchief marked IN. M.
NJ" and on stationery with the
same initiated crest, this note
Dearest, I love you. I love you.
love you. K K K, Yours al
ways, Mary"
While Miss Normand appar-
emily was Taylor's No. / femi-
nine friend, there were signs
that he did not repulse Mary
Miles Minter, then looming as
a likely rival of Mary Pickford
as Americas favorite sweet young
thing. Miss Winters own re-
gard for Taylor is bet described
as worshipful, from her state
mentS to authorities. A year
and a half later she claimed
they had been engaged just be-
fore he was killed.
Three days after the Staying,
Taylor's funeral attracted a
crowd Of 10000. A Canadian
! Regiment fired a salute over his
casket. Miss Normand tainted
The paperes barely mentioned
Miss Minter.
Police Baffied.
Reel 5-The investigation con-
tinued hopefully after the in
quest brought a verdict of homi-
eide by person or persons I'M
known. But the nearest thing to
a witness proved to be Mrs. Mac
Lean, and her testimony and
statements led police exactly
nowhere. The gist of her state
mentS:
About 8 o'clock the night OF
the murder she and MacLean
heard what they thought was
either a shot or a car muff1el
explosion She opened her front
door a crack and saw a stocky
man with a light cap, a mufflel
and a dark suit leaving Taylor's
apartment. It didn't occur tt
her the shot came from there.
The man was funny looking
she thought: dressed something
like a movie property boy. He
looked at her coolly. half smiled
and walked away between bun
galows. She heard no car drive
off. ..
Later Mrs. MacLean was tc
say it could have been q woman
in mans clothing; she noticed
the persons face was smooth.
Taylor's young chauffeur
Howard Fellows, brother OF
Harry, thought Mrs. MacLean's
description fitted him. He told
officers he rang Taylor's door
bell at 8:15 after failing to get
an answer to a phone call at
sos. He then put the car away
reasoning Taylor had gone to
bed or did not wish to be dis
turbed. Investigators found
nothing to link him with the
crime. It was never established
who phoned Taylor just before
Miss Normand'S arrival.
Miss Purviance, absent earlier
in the evening, said she returned
about midnight and saw most OF
the lights on in Taylor's apart
.ment. She noticed nothing out
of the ordinary.
A former chauffeur, Earl
Tiffany, gave officers a verbal
picture of Taylor as a ladies
man. Tiffany gave officers their
main lead. He said his wife had
positively" seen Sands wearing
a gray cap in downtown Los An
geles the day before the murder.
Yet Mrs. MacLean. who knew
Sands. said she had never be-
fore seen the man who came out
Of Taylor's place!
From friends of Taylor, officers
learned that Miss Winters
mother, Mrs. Charlotte Shelby,
had raised a fuss over her daugh-
ter's visits to the directors apart