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

- ! O/b" 1871
year, but wandered back over a
truly versatile and somewhat
checkered career.
His Early Days.
Reel 2, fashback: He was born
in County Cork. Ireland, his real
name William Cunningham
Deane Tanner. His father, a
British army officer, is angry
when William chooses acting In
preference to a military career.
Young William comes to the
United States, knocks about as
an actor and winds up in BUSH
ness in New York. BY 1908. he
is reported earning $4,000 a
year. He has a wife, daughter.
many friends. A brother. Dennis
Deane Tanner, has joined him
in this country.
In the fall Of 1908, William
Cunningham Deane Tanner dis
appears completely. He is re-
ported later to have ranched in
Nebraska. mined in Colorado,
and eventually winds up pros
pecting and producing plays in
Alaska. During World War I, he
enlists in the Canadian army
and rises to captain overseas.
In 1917 he drifts into Holly
wood where he begins acting as
William Desmond Taylor and
soon switches to directing. In
New York. his wife. a former
Floradora girl named Ethel May
Harrison. has divorced him on
grounds of misconduct and de-
Sertion.
Meanwhile, brother Dennis al
so has disappeared leaving a
wife and two children.
Hollywood is kind to Taylor
AS he sits figuring his income
tax. he may also muse over
scenes he will shoot the next
day on his new picture starring
Mary Pickford. He has lots of
girl friends, but, it seems, in a
quiet sort of way. About him are
three pictures of Mabel Normand,
one each Of Mary Miles Minter.
Neva Gerber and Winifred King
ston. He has a locket from Miss
Normand with a picture inscrib-
ed ITO My Dearest.
Enter Edward Sands.
Reel 3 thickens the plot. In
1921 the mysterious figure of Ed
ward F. Sands comes into Tay-
lor's life. The director hires
Sands, a well-educated, stocky
man of about 80, as his valet and
secretary. That summer. while
Taylor is in Europe, a number of
checks are forged and many
Things stolen from the apart
ment. Estimating his loss from
$2,400 to total ruin" the mild
hammered Taylor swears out a
warrant for grand theft against
Sands.
Less than two months before
he is to die, Taylor's apartment
is burglarized. The day before
Christmas he receives a letter
containing pawn tickets for
some personal jewelry items. The
handwriting is that of Sands
and some authorities later are
to say it is identical with that
of the missing Dennis Deane
Tanner.
Whether Sands really was the
younger Tanner is something
probably only he and Taylor
knew. Police report that finger
prints said to be young Tanners
did not match those of Sands.
Now the tall director turns
from his desk as a figure looms
at his side, holding a .38 re-
volver. Taylor has both check
book and paper at hand. What
did the intruder want-a final
check. or a letter of some sort?
The answer may never be
known. A shot rings out. Taylor
falls dead. the bullet coursing
from the left side upward toward
the right shoulder. AL, evidence
indicates the slayer takes time
to lift the body and lay it out
neatly on its back on the floor,
arranging the clothes. much in
the manner of a trained valet.
The murdered then steps out
into the night, and pulls the door
shut-unseen. Except. perhaps
by one person.
Came The Dawn.
Reel 4: If this were a silent
film of Taylor's era, this episode
would be subtitled. Game the
dawn-and pandemonium "
At 1880 the next morning,
Peavey came to work and found
the body. His terrified screams
brought residents Of the court
on the run-the McLeans. who
lived across the way; Miss Purvi-
ance, who had the apartment
next to Taylor's; and E. c. Jes-
surum, the proprietor.
Accounts of the rest of the day
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