New-York tribune., 1921-12-02
Nurse, ! !! Witness
For Arbuckle.
FOundP oisoned
Discovery of Mrs. Morgan
Unconscious in Room at
Hotel Causes Sensation
at Trial of Comedian
Girl Tells of 'sShadow''
Prosecutor, in Closing Argu-
ment, Assails Defendant
as Slayer of Miss Rappc
sreafa, pispatoA 70 FAC rrinuns

SRSCf0S OtSpNECs 30 ES f9tCANS
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 1.-The trial
Of Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle was thrown
int0 excitement here to-day, when, in
the midst of the attorneys closing
arguments on the evidence connecting
the notion picture comedian with the
death Of Virginia Rappe, it was an
nounced that Mrs. Irene Morgan. for
mer Army nurse and witness for the
defense, had been poisoned. The an
nounrement was made by Milton Cohen.
Of Arbuckle's counsel. who said she
had been, found unconscious in her
room at the Cliff Hotel. The house
physician was reported as saying she
had been drugged.
The sensation was increased by the
strange account given by Miss Pearl
Leusky, a melton picture actress who
also was to have testified Tor the de-
fense. but who was not called.
A ..tall. gray haired, official,looking
man. said Miss Leushy, who had fol-
lowed her and Mrs. Morgan for weeks.
had met the nurse and given her some
candy. Mrs. Morgan became dizzy
after eating it, Miss Leushy said, and
the stranger said to her:
Hunt Supposed Poisoner
go to -. You're done for. You
have made others suffer; now suffer
yourself.''
Search was begun tonight for the
supposed poisoner.
Mis-. Morgan's testimony in the trial
had been that she had seen Miss Rappe
n fits of agony such as the one she
suffered at the Arbuckle party at the
St. Francis Hotel Labor Day, and that
off her clothing. Mrs. Morgan de-
clared after she left the stand that she
had been--warned by Adjective that
harm would befall her if she testified.
Deputy District Attorney Leo Fried
man opened the states attack on Ar
buckle to-day with the declaration that
Eve are not trying Roscoe Arbuckie,
the hero Of a thousand laughs; we are
trying Roscoe Arbuckle, the man, the
cailoused man who could stand in the
face Of suffering and smile
I'VE ,are trying a man wilo could
see a woman writhng in agony,
screaming in pain. and laugh; who
could think only of getting the poor,
dying woman out of his room SO there
might be no trouble. and who could not
think offgetting medical aid for her.
Holds Defendant Responsible
I'VE believe we have proved that the
injury which caused the death cf Vir-
ginia Rappe could have been caused by
no one else than Roscoe Arbuckle.
You have heard Roscoe Arbuckle's tes-
timony on the stand, and you and
know it was false and we'll fabricated
TO meet the facts brought out by the
people: facts he could not deny"
Eriads,eO fhct rnCnyrto6 bo fect;
mony OF Mrs. Maude belmont before
the coroner--how she heard Miss
Rappe screaming and pleading and she
and another member of the party
kicked and beat upon the locked door
and demanded that Arbuckle release
the girl, and how they finally summoned
the hotel manager. lie attacked the
testimony of defense witnesses in de-
tail,
Three, physicians designated by the
trial judge reported to-day the results
Of their microscopic examination Of
Miss Rappe's organs. They found
Ophu1s, head of the commission, said
he did not believe its condition would
lead to rupture.
for the defense late to-day, but it was
interrupted almost Immediately by ad-
iournment- In his argument he de-
clAred that the finger prints on the
dPor of Arbuckle's hotel room which
the defense declares were made by
Arbuckle and Miss Rape were "spooks"
and that Arbuckle was in the room with
her only ten minutes.