Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1921-11-18
ARBUCKLE' s TRIAL
BEGINS At FRISCO
Jury Quickly Filled With Prospec-
tive Jurors; Three Women.
sFATTY" HAS SIX LAWYERS
Film Star in San Francisco Court for
Virginia Rape Death After
"Party"-Scores of Witnesses
Are on Hand.

San Francisco, CAL. Nov. 15.-Trial
of Roscoe c. ("Fatty') Arbuckle on
charge of manslaughter in connection
with the death here September of
Virginia Rape, motion picture actress,
began here in the Superior court be-
fore Judge Louderback. The jury was
filled quickly with prospective jurors,
three of whom were women. The jury
yenire of sixty-six contained the names
of thirteen women.
Arbuckle appeared worried and
looked around the packed courtroom
nervously. His wife was present, but
did not sit with him.
ArbuckIe Has Six Lawyers.
Gavin McNab, chief of Arbuckle's
six attorneys, asked what disposition
should be made of the grand jury in
ldictment against Arbuckle. This is
also on manslaughter charge similar
ITO the police court charge on which
lArbuckle is being tried.
The crowd began to surge early
Through the narrow corridors on the
third floor of the hall of justice to
the trial court. Admissions were linn
dted to approximately 800, which in
lcluded more than score of newspa-
per men.
Unlike Arbuckle's preliminary hear
ing, in which only woman spectators
were admitted due to the fact that it
was held In the woman's department
lOf the police court, no sex line was
drawn today. Among the spectators
lis a delegation from the women's Wig
liant committee, formed to aid in NOR
Ial elements of the city.
For more than week the contend
ing sides have had their decks stripped
for action and the eagerness with
(which they collected all possible evil
ldence indicates hard and bitter con-
test. The trial was to have started
last Monday, but local election and
Armistice day preparations so broke up
the week that postponement until
today was granted.
Liquor Charge Still Pending.
In the two months that have elapsed
since the commission Of the alleged
criminal act by Arbuckie, the defend
ant has been in prison for several days,
has had a preliminary hearing on a
charge of murder, which was reduced
ito the manslaughter charge on which
he went to trial today, and has been
made the defendant in a federal ac-
tion charging the illegal possession of
liquor. The federal charge remains
ITO be tried, and will presumably await
the action in the state court.
! Death After Drinking Party.
Miss Rappe's death followed a
drinking party she attended in Ar
buckles suite at the Hotel st. Fran
els the afternoon of September s.
When Miss Rape retired from the
room while the festivities were in
progress, according to the testimony,
lArbuckle followed her and about an
hour later two of the women, Mrs.
belmont and Zeh Provost, found her
lin distress in an adjoining room, the
door of which was opened by Ar
buckle in response to their knocks.
81 am dying. He hurt me,' cried
Miss Rappe, according to testi-
Imony of Miss Provost and Alice
Blake, who said the girl was laying
ION a bed, tearing her garments as she
moaned and tossed. ArbuclSle told
her to ''shut up" they said, and used
ice in an attempt to restore her fully
ito consciousness.
Nurses Testimony Not Presented.
Miss Rape was taken to another
room in the hotel and next day re-
Imoved to hospital, where she re-
manned until her death Hospital
nurses testified at the inquest that she
ACCUSED Arbuckle of having injured
lher but this testimony was not in
ltroduced at the police court hearing.
Gavin McNab, prominent San
francisco attorney, is chief of counsel
for Arbuckle. He was retained by
lmotion-picture interests to handle the
defense.