The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-02
THREATS OF
DEATH SENT
To FATTY
Letter to Attorney Says
You and Fat Friend
VIII Be Killed.

San Francisco. Dec. 2.-CUnited
Press. "A threat has been receiv-
ed by friends of Roscoe Arbuckle
that he would be shot down as he
left the court room if he is acquit-
ted of manslaughter in the death
of Virginia Rappe.
This threat, following the pois-
oning of the defense's star witness,
Miss Irene NJ. Morgan, led to ex-
treme precautions to protect the
big movie comedian today
A gray-haired. middle-aged man,
said TO be a crank, was sought as
the poiSoner.
The threat against Arbuckle's
life was received by his attorney
and friend two days ago, it was
learned. The letters addressed to
each stated you and your fat
friend" would be assassinated.
Girl Witness Poisoned.
The girl witness-a nurse from
Los Angeles-is reported lowering
between life and death from effects
of the poisoning. Physicians said
they believed she had been given a
large quantity of aspirin.
Miss Morgan told police she had
met the man at the Arbuckle trial
where an attempt had been made
to impeach her testimony She said
she vcnt walking yesterday at
no, i She ate two pieces of candy
he gave her. Later she was found
on the floor of her room in convul-
sions. Physicians at first believed
she would die, but declared this
morning she had q good chance for
recovery.
Arbuckle UnmOved.
Arbuckle seemed little affected
by the assassination threats,
which have thrown everyone con-
nected with the case into excite
ment. 1t is considered foregone
conclusion by most persons here
that ArbGckle will be dismissed,
and elaborate precautions are be-
ing taken to prevent any demon
stration.
The big comedian after hearing
Leo Friedman, youthful assistant
to the district attorney. spend two
hours describing the famed funny
man of the movies as an arch Grim
inal. said, We'll, he sure burned
me up"
In the eyes of Friedman, Ar
buckle was the calloused man who
can play pranks, joke and laugh
in the face of suffering and whose
cnly thought when he saw Viz
ginia Rappe in agony, was to get
her out of his room.
But to McNab, defense attorney,
Arbuckle was a man who had tried
to be a genial host and a helper
to the sick and who found himself
in the clutches of a relentless
prosecutors office.
HcNab Starts Argument
The arguments began late yes
terday, Friedman completing the
opening address for the state and
McNab starting for the defense.
Indications were that the last
words for and against the defend
ant will be spoken this afternoon
and the vast majority of those who
have followed the trial predicted a
verdict in time for Arbuckle to
''catch an O'Clock train for Los
Angeles"
AIbuckle listened attentively to
Friedman's denunciation- Very
frequently he would wet his lips
with the tongue which has licked
away the filling from many a vag-
rant custard pie. His face red
dened when Friedman denounced
his own testimony as unbelievable
Friedman Scourges "Fatty."
He went into detail as to the
charge that Arbuckle had tortured
Miss Rape with a piece of ice, pic
turing him standing at her bedside
dressed in No more clothes thar
be would wear to bed at night
making sport CT the body of a help
less girl"
Gavin McNa5 for the defense
spoke less than twenty minutes
He made great capital of the fact
that the state had failed to call as
witness Mrs. Bambino Maude De-!
mont, who swore to the complain:
against Arbuekle.