New-York tribune., 1921-09-11
Film Comedian Detained
i'm Sam Francisco Pend.
ing investigation of Fa-
tai Party. in His Rooms
Victim Is Virginia
Rappe, an Actress
Became Hysterical and
Then Grew Violently
iii After Taking Drinks
Special Dispatch to The Tribune


SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 10-Roscoe
("Fatty"D Arbucklc. motion picture
star, is being held by the San Fran
cisco police to-day in connection with
the mysterious death here yesterday Of
Miss Virginia Rappe, a Los Angeles
motion picture actress Arbuckle ar
rived here to-day from Los Angeles,
ready to aid in clearing UP the crcum-
stances surrounding the death Of the
twenty three -year-old woman.
According to information in the
hands of the police, Miss Rape was
guest at party given Monday in
Arbuckle's suite in a hotel here. There
was some drinking and later Miss
Rappe was taken i'll. The hotel ply
sician was called. The next day the
actress was taken to hospital, where
she died
An autopsy showed that Miss Rappe
died OF peritonitis. The stomach has
been submitted to DR.. Frank C. Green,
city chemist, who will make an exami-
nation.
Reported She Was Injured
Meanwhile, the police are trying to
obtain information concerning injuries
said to have been suffered by Miss
Rape prior to her death, and are
studying the circumstances surround
ing her final illness.
GRAND iurv IL
ArbuclSle will be called TO testify, and
an inquiry by the Coroner also will
seek to bring out all the information
available on the case.
Arbuckle denies that he was in any
way responsible for the girls death.
He issued statement on his arrival
here, which said:
while | was at the hotel Monday
Miss Rape, Mrs. Maud belmont and
Al Schumacher, manager for Miss
to San Francisco by auto from Los
Angeles the day before. | have been
acquainted with Schumacher for about
ten years and have known Miss Rappe
for the last five years. At my invita-
ton they came to my rooms to have a
few drinks. | was clad in pajamas,
bathrobe and bedroom slippers and was
having my breakfast when the trio en-
tered. We sat in the room, had few
drinks and talked over matters that
concerned us.
"Shortly after Miss Rappe had taken
a few drinks she became hysterical,
complained she could not breathe and
then started to tear off her clothes. i
requested two girls present at the time
to take care Of Miss Rappe She was
disrcbed and placed in bathtub to be
revived.
Finally Called Physician
"The immersion did not benefit her
and | then telephoned to the hotel
manager, telling him what was wrong,
and with the request that Miss Rape
be given room. She was taken out
of my room and put to bed.
"When no change came in Miss
Rappe's condition, I summoned a
physician
81 departed from the hotel Tuesday
having engaged passage on the steamer
Harvard the Saturday before to go to
Los Angeles. The report that was or
dered by the management to leave the
hotel is not true.
II was at no time alone with Miss
Rappe. During the time in my rooms
there all of the time and | can produce
witnesses to bear out that statement.
am only too glad to return to San Fran
cisco to assist the authorities in
straigh tening out this terrible mess.
"Mrs. belmont, who was one of my
guests, returned to my room after
Miss Rappe was put to bed. had
Miss Rappe taken from my room be-
cause she had gotten too noisy"