Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-09-28
Strong Testimony.
for Prosecution

Strong Testimony.
for Prosecution
San Francisco, Sept 2S-The
prosecution scored heavy and
unexpected blow in the prelimi-
nary hearing of Roscoe c. ("Fat-
ty") Arbuckle on a murder charge
late yesterday when Josephine
Keza, a hotel maid, was called to
the stand.
: Miss Keza. hitherto unmention
ed as a witness, testified that on
the afternoon of Labor Day, she
had listened in the hotel corridor
at the keyhoie of the door lead
ing into Arbuckle's bedroom.
She said she had heard sounds
of struggle and feminine
voice eNclaiming in a tone of pro-
test. to which she said a 1nascu-
line voice responded, "Shut up
The time was fixed a few min
utes before Mrs. l.. NJ. belmont
raped on the inner door and was
answered by Arbuckle. who, ac-
cording to Miss ley Prevost's
testimony in the morning, was
tying the strings Of his bathrobe
as he emerged into view
Immediately at the close OF
Miss keza's testimony the prose
cution rested its case
Judge Sylvan Lazarus express
ed surprise that Mrs. belmont.
the complaining witness, has not
been called to the stand.
a witness for both the prose
cution and the defense-such was
ey Provost, one-time model. She
occupied the stand throughout
the morning and part of the af-
ternoOn session.
Miss Provost testified that N1r-
.ginia Rape went dancing to her
deatll-"k KIND of skipping in" said
s'tf1e~.Prevost girl, followed closely
bv Arbuckle, who shut the bed
room door.
She said that an instant before
skipping" into Arbuckle's bed
room Miss Rape had attempted
to enter Lowell Sherman room,
but that Mrs belmont in the
bathroom had called to her to go
around to the other bathroom
and let me dress" Arbuckle at
this time, Miss Provost asserted
was standing in the central re-
ceptIOn room.
Miss Provost said that as Nir
ginia Rappe skipped across to-
ward Arbuckle's bedroom no
words were spoken. Arbuckle
did not haul or drag Miss Rape
into his room, the witness said.
Nearly As minutes passed, ac-
cording to the witness. The guests
were dancing, playing phono-
graph and having a general good
time
/ Then Mrs. belmont, the wit
ness said, attempted to open the
door, found it was locked and
raped and kicked, calling:
Open the door. | just want to
talk to Virginia. open the door, |
just want to speak to. her,
And Fatty" after few mo-
ments, opened the door.
| Mrs. belmont, said Miss Pre-
vost, then entered the bedroom
and saw Miss Rape. "She was
lying ON the bed" said Miss Pre-
vost, not the bed indicated by Al
Sennacher in his testimony, but
t a double bed in the corner.
! "She was fully dressed and her
hair was hanging and she was
moaning. Mrs. belmont and ]
went over and asked what was
the matter. She said L am dying.
] A long wrangle of counsel fol-
lowed as, to the admissibility OF
Miss Rappe's words.
!; Judge Lazarus admitted them
ruling that they were part of the
principal happening itself. Then
Miss Provost continued
: " 4 am dying; | am dying;
know am going to die. | sale
| No you are not going to die. ane
j started to rub her abdomen, ano
{ she got up in the bed and started
i to pull her clothes off. We go1
! her IMPRESSED and she was scream
ing.
Then Fred Fischback came il
{ and Fischback, helped by Mrs
i belmont and perhaps Miss Blake
put the girl for. few moments
Into a cold bath. Then they Laid