Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-09-15
CORONER JURY CHARGES ACTOR
CRIMINALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR
DEATH OF MISS VIRGINIA RAPPE
Recommend Authorities
Take Steps to Prevent
Cases of This Kind.
Comedian Facing Two
Manslaughter and Two
Murder Charges.

San Francisco, Sept. 14.-For the
! fourth time within week, Roscoe C.
Fatty Arbuckle Wednesday was
formally held criminally responsible
for the death Of Miss Virginia Rappe,
motion picture actress. A coroner's
inquest into Miss Rappe's death
Wednesday returned charge of man
slaughter against him. The verdict
read:
I'VE, the coroner's jury find that
the said Virginia Rappe, age 20, single,
| residing in Los Angeles, came to her
death on September 9th at the Wake
field sanitarium from ruptured
bladder. contributing cause, peritonitis.
And we further find that said
Virginia Rappe came to her death from
peritonitis caused by a rupture Of the
urinary bladder, caused BY the apph
cation of some force, which, from the
evidence submitted. was applied by
one Roscoe Arbuckle.
I'VE. the undersigned jurors. there
fore, charge the said Arbuckle with
the crime of granddaughter.
I'VE. the undersigned jurors, recon-
mend that the district attorney, chief
police. grand jury and prohibition
officers take steps to prevent a further
occurrence of affairs such as the one
which caused this young women's
death. so that San Francisco will not
be made the rendezvous of the de-
bauchee and the ganster."
Ben Boas, one Of the nine jurors,
returned a minority verdict in which
he said that Miss Rappe's fatal in
juries were caused by the application
OF. some force ''but am unable to say
who applied it."
Two charges Of murder, one pre-
ferred by the police and the other by
Mrs. Bambina belmont. friend Of Miss
Rappe, and two charges Of man
slaughter. one returned by the grand
jury and the other by the coroner1s
jury, rest against Arbuckle.
The coroner's jury was out for
more than three hours after an ex-
animation of witnesses which started
last Monday. Other developments
Wednesday in the case were:
The starting Of an investigation Of
Il. Mccormack, assistant United States
attorney general, into charges that
liquor was brought to and served at
the Labor Day party in Arbuckle's
rooms in the st. Francis hotel. at
which Miss Rappe was alleged to have
suffered the attack which ended in her
death.
The finding of Betty Campbell. show
girl and one of those attending the
party. after she was reported to have
dropped from sight, and her interro-
CATION by the district attorney.
The statement of Captain Of De-
tectives Matheson that one Of the girl
witnesses who had attended the party
had been asked to accept bribe to
her testimony.
District Attorney Matthev A. Brady
said he had not decided what course to
pursue in regard to the murder COM
plaint. in view Of the manslaughter
charges. but would SETTLE the matter in
conference with his deputies before
Friday. when Are buckle appears in
police court to plead to the murder
charge.
The grand jury indictment for man
slaughter is to be returned before
Presiding Judge Shortall in the super
or court Thursday.
Brady received a commendatory tele-
gram from Mayor L. c. Hodgeson Of
st. Paul. Minn.. saying. ''If Arbuckle
S not punished. the moving picture
business is done for"