Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-12-02
Defense Witness in Arbuckle Case
Found Drugged in Hotel Room;
Manslaugher Trial Nearing Close
Both Sides Start Their
Closing Arguments;
Actor Indifferent.
Police Looking for Man
Who Gave Drugged
Candy to Mrs. Morgan

San Francisco, Dec. Mrs. Iren,
I, Morgan, defense witness in the Rosco'
Arbuckle trial, was found unconscious
at noon today in her room at the Chf1
hotel. According to the house physi
clan, she had been drugged. This fact
and the beginning Of the closing argu
ments of both sides were outstanding
developments Thursday in the trial yoi
Roscoe c. FATTY Arbuckle.
Systematic police search was begun
for the stranger alleged to be respon-
sible for the poisoning Of Mrs. Morgan
The district attorney announced his
entire force would aid in the investiga-
tion.
| Candy Was Doped
Mrs. Morgan vas found unconscious
in her hotel ROOM She told of being
accosted Wednesday night and again
Thursday by a man she had seen dur
| ing the Arbuckle trial She said the
!, man had given her candy twice and
that both times, eating this candy had
been followed by illness.
No connection between Mrs. Nor
gan's experience and the trial in pro-
gress has been discovered, authorities
said.
Leo Friedman, an assistant district
attorney, made the first exposition OF
the prosecutions contention that it had
presented an unbreakable chain of evil
dence to link the comedian with the
death OF Virginia Rappe, whom il
| his rooms at hotel here. Gavin Me-
Nab began what seemed likely to be
the defense's only address. but was
interrupted by adjournment of court.
The courtroom was crowded.
Arbuckle Appears Calm
Arbuckle appeared Indifferent during
Friedman's argument, gazing around
Or lingering shreds of paper. Fried
buckle told the truth on the stand it
would be strong enough to convict him,
for he admitted he left Miss Rappe
after her injury without calling a doc
tor or telling anyone Of her condition" !"
why has not the prosecution pre-
sented Bambina Afaude belmont, the
complaining witness in this case?" Nc
Nab asked. He praised Mrs. Morgan
as heroine, wounded in battle
Fingerprints on the doors of the hotel
room used by Arbuckle and said by the
prosecution to be those Of Arbuckle
and Miss Rappe. were called ''spooks."
"Arbuckle had but 10 minutes in that
room with Miss Rappe," he said.
The action of the district attorney
in placing witnesses under his custody
'on the theory that they may be tam
pered with" was attacked by McNab.
Miss Zeh Provost, prosecution wit
ness, was ''terrnrized," he said, in her
appearances before the police and the
grand jury, because she would not say
Miss Rappe, referring to Arbuckle, ex
claimed ''he killed me-"
Weird, fantastic absurdities were
substituted for the testimony of Mrs.
belmont, the complaining Witness he
said.
States Argument
Friendman said Mrs. Morgan's rec
ord as war nurse, as she outlined it
on the stand, was subject to attack.
Fred Fischbeck, leading defense
witness, was accused by Friedman OF
having attempted to take the blame
of Miss Rappe's injury on his own
shoulders.
The defense testimony of DR.. Frank
lin Shiels BLASTED the defense's own
theory that the bladder rupture which
caused Miss Rappe's death might have
resulted from the sudden immersion in
cold BATH Friedman said. Or.
Shiels testified he had no knowledge of
a bladder rupturing in this fashion.