MOVIE MURDER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 916, 8 March 1930, Page 23

MOVIE MURDER

SLAYING OF WM. DESMOND TAYLOR MISSING WITNESS FOUND? The supposed missing link w-itness in the famous Taylor murder mystery at Los Angeles eight years ago has been found by one of its reporters, according to an announcement of tile “United Press,” from New York. His name is Otis Hefner. He is the man referred to in a recent dispatch as having been secretly released from Folsom Prison by ex-Governor Richardson in 1926, after having made disclosures to him which, it is believed, placed the convict's life in jeopardy from members of a dope ring. Mr. William Desmond Taylor, the famous English film director, was found shot at his desk at Hollywood. Theories advanced were that he was murdered by someone who intended to steal letters for blackmail purposes, or that the assassin was one of his many women friends. Henry Reavey, a young negro, w-ho was Taylor’s valet, follow-ing the dismissal of Edward Sands, is said to have overhead a quarrel between Taylor and a person named by Hefner. Answ-ering a direct question by the j “United Press” representative, Hefner j said he knew- who killed Taylor, and | why. He mentioned the name of a cinema celebrity as the murderer. Hefner explained in a signed state-!

ment that he and Sands were mixed j up iD a narcotic trafficking band. Distributing Drugs Sands supplied the drugs to Taylor, for whom he had worked, ostensibly as his chauffeur and valet. Actually, Taylor was distributing drugs to I people in the movie business, inciud- \ ing the person Hefner names as hav- ! ing committed the murder. “Taylor and Sands,” he continued, “fell out. “Taylor left on a trip, and w-hen he j returned he accused Sands of robbing ] his home of clothing and jewellery. j “Sands did not make any pretence! of working for Taylor after that, but i I think the robbery was all ’bunk,' for j Sands continued to deliver dope to| Taylor and get Mb money for it. “Word was passed around in the j dope ring after a while that Taylor I had turned ’rat,’ and wa3 tipping ns ; off to the Federal officials. “I heard several conversations, in i which it was remarked that Tavior i would be ‘bumped off’ if he did uot i play square.” On the night "of the murder in Feb-; ruary 1922 Hefner says he accompanied i Sands in a motor-car to deliver drugs j at Taylor’s residence, and arrived ! there at 2 o’clock in the morning. The narrative continues: “There was! another limousine at the opposite! kerb with a driver at the wheel. A woman was coming down the short steps from the entrance to the j bungalow court. ! “She was wrapped in a fur coat, ! either black or dark brown, but I recognised her as —. j “She got into the limousine hurriedly s and drove away. "Sands went in with the bundle, I

\ and came back almost immediately. | When vre were in the car Sands said } to me. ‘lt’s time to be going; the old man’s got his; he is stretched out | dead.’ “We went down town and separated. I exchanged several letters with Sands at Vera Cruz after that. He kept telling me to keep my mouth shut ard never mention his name. “Sands didn’t kill Taylor; I am sure of that. j “Don’t think I meant to run awey I when I started for Mexico. I under- ] stood I was going to arrange for some j narcotic shipments.”