LOS ANGELES MURDER.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 February 1922, Page 5

LOS ANGELES MURDER.

POLICE OBTAIN CLUE. FORMER BUTLER SUSPECTED. Vancouver, Feb. 18. A message from Los Angeles states that a most important clue has been unearthed in connection with the inquiry into the death of William Desmond Taylor, the cinematograph director. The clue again turns suspicion against Edward Sands, Taylor’s former butler. Charles Carson, a retired master mariner, told the police to-day that Sands, three months ago, hired two friends of his, who were gunmen, to shoot a “movie magnate named Taylor.” Carson says that he forgot the incident until the murder occurred. A message from New York states that Miss Mabel Normand has telegraphed to her father from Los Angeles that the authorities have absolved her from any possible blame for Taylor’s death, and have returned her letters.

An earlier message from Los Angeles stated that the police had turned their attention to the cross-examining of Peavey, Taylor’s colored servant, who, they are certain, has not told all ho knows.

It appears that Peavey and Davis (chauffeur to Miss Normand) conversed with a mysterious third person while Miss Normand and Taylor were inside the bungalow.

Another collection of letters from women has been found among Taylor’s effects. Some detectives hold the theory that Taylor was killed by a dope-crazed man, who was the instrument of cocaine-sellers infesting Hollywood, against whom Taylor was known to have felt enmity, because a girl friend of hi? was being supplied with skugs by them.