The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-09-23
BRUISES ON BODY CAUSED DEATH OF
 GIRL, IS TESTIFIED
Physicians and Nurse De-
 scribe Autopsy of Movie
 Actress at Fatty" Ar
 buckles Trial
By Associated Press


 ! tFGtty) Arbuckle which will deter
 mine whether the film comedian is to 1 be bound over to the superior court for trial on a charge of the murder l of Miss Virginia Rappe, began here
 today in courtroom filled almost
 exclusively with women. Three witnesses who saw Miss l Rappe's body after her death, Sep-
 tember 9, which it is charged re- ] suited from injuries suffered at a drinking party four days before in
 Arbuckle's hotel suite, testified that they observed bruises on her limbs and body Two of them, the sur ] geon who performed the post nor tenn examination, and the autopsy surgeon, said the death was from a ruptured bladder, caused, in their opinion. by external force. At tomor-
 rows session testimony is expected
 to be introduced regarding incidents at the party, where according to wit I nesses at the coroners inquest, Miss
 
 screaming after having been alone in room with Arbuckle. District Attorney Matthew A. Brady said it had not been determined whether Al Semnacher, Miss Rapes manager, who is reported to have tes- tified before the grand jury at Los Angeles that Arbuckle had made ad- | missions regarding his treatment of
 Miss Rappe would be called tomor- row,
 Arbuckle listened intently to to- days testimony, his face bearing q serious expression. Mrs. Minta Dur fee Arbuckle, his wife. from whom he had been separated for five years, but who cane here from New York Monday. sat at his side with her mother, Mrs. Flora Durfee. Women Jam Court Women damned the corridors of the hall of justice for nearly two hours before the court session be- gan and dozen policemen were busy keeping them away from the court room door. A group of men were or dered to the street door and women who could show no credentials were not admitted.
 Women were given preference be- cause Judge Lazarus court is large ly devoted to women's cases. Dele gations from the womens vigilante committee, from clubs and civic or ganizations packed the courtroom to it's doors, A few male attaches of other courts found refuge behind the steel bars of the prisoners dock. Ar buckle himself sat the attorneys table.
 Dr. Shelby Strange, who performed ta and pr. William Ophuls, who made the first post mortem examination, were the principal witnesses today.
 Found Bruises on Arm
 pr. Strange said he found bruises on Miss Rappe's right upper arm, ap- parently caused by finger marks, two bruises on the lower abdomen, and others on the thighs and shins. the cause of which he was unable to state. pr. Ophuls and Miss Grace Halston, a hospital nurse who was present at the post mortem. both cor roborated Dr. Stranges description of the bruises and coroner's photo graphs of the body were offered as evidence.
 A tear in the bladder wall was de- scribed by Dr. Strange, who said the bladder and other organs had been preserved by Dr. Orphuls. He said he believed that death came from peritonitis resulting from the rup- tured bladder and that the rupture was caused by some external force.
 The autopsy surgeon also told Of small puncture he said he found m the left arm of the body which ne attributed to an hypodermic needle.
 Dr. Ophuls said he was called in for a post-mortem examination by pr. M E. Rumwcll, the physician who attended Miss Rappe in most Of her last illness. He found the ab- domen ''horribly digtended' he said as a result of the rupture and con gestion of blood In several organs of the lower abdomen.
 The rupture, he surnised was caused by over di stinction Of the bladder. resulting probably from some outside cause.
 Mis. Haiston's statement that she believed the bruises on Miss Rappes arm were made by the grip of an other person prompted a debate oyer it's admissibility between Arbuckles counsel and Milton T. Urcn. assis- tan district attorney who, conducted the exaraination.
 No Crons Examination Judge L4azurus let the testimony go In The defense did not cross ex- a fudge Lazurus put the hearing over until D. m. tomorrow
 Mrs Bambina Maud Delmont, the complaining witness, Alice Blake ana Zeh Provost will be among the Wit nesses tomorrow. the district attor | ney announced Mrs. Delmont ac- conpanied Miss Rappe and Al sem ancher on the trip from Los Angeles to Selma. Fresno and San Francisco,
 which ended in Miss Rappe's death Although many women, unable to get into the court room. supmitteo to fate and stood patiently on the stairs leading to the courtroolh, others refused to be satisfied ana called on chief of police O'Brien, de- mandins their rights as citizens and tax payers" to be given seat in the courtroom.
 Semancher who called the district attorney by telephone yesterday rom Los Angeles to request that expense money be sent to come to San Fran cisco to testify, arrived today oy automobile. He was taken to the dis- trict attorneys office Immediately s,d detained there during the hearing.
 Notified of sherman District Attorney Brady said he re- ceived a telegram today frim District Attorney Swann at New York. nofi. flying him that Lowell sherman had been found and had said hc would be in San Francisco for Arbuckles trial if desired.
 pr. Arthur Beardsley. the house physician at the Hotel St. Francis who attended Miss Rappe for day after the party. had not reached San rrancisco tonight from his hunting trip in the Sierra Nevada mountains | from which he has been called homo hv fhe authorities.