Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1921-09-15
FATTY ARBUCKLE
HELD FOR COURT
Accused Of Inf|Ictlng Fatal
Injuries on Film Beauty.
IN SAN FRANCISCO Jail
Screen Stars Attorneys Begin Fight
to Clear Hin of the Charge of
Mureer.


to Clear Hin of the Charge of
Murcer.
San Francisco. A battle of
wits, money and influence was under
way to save Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle
from the gallows.
A formal complaint charging Ar
buckle with murder was sworn to be-
fore Police Judge O'Brien. The COM
plant was signed by Mrs. Bambina
Maude belmont, a Los Angeles film
actress and friend of Miss Virginia
Rape, the actress whose death Ar
buckle is alleged to have caused.
Rallying to the support of the state
In its effort to convict the Falstaff of
the movies, friends of Miss Rape,
'most beautifully dressed woman in
the MOVIES demanded justice.
And in behalf of the life of the
party" as Arbuckle was known, not
only in real life, but in a recently en-
acted comedy, a galaxy of legal talent
was grimly battling. He is only "a
years old
Arbuckle was ordered placed in the
regular morning lineup of prisoners,
photographed for the Rogue's Gallery
and his finger prints and Bertillon
measurements taken.
From the district attorney, Matthew
Brady, came this formal statement:
"The evidence in my possession
shows conclusively either that an at
tack or an attempted attack was per-
petrated upon Miss Virginia Rape by
Roscoe Arbuckle. Section 1S9 of the
penal code provides that the taking
of a human life by any person in the
commission of an attack or an attempt
ed attack is murder in the first de-
gree.
81 will spare no effort to punish the
perpetrator of this atrocious crime,
although I know / will be opposed
by the cleverest lawyers and the great
est influence which money can pur-
chase"
The death of Miss Rape Friday
followed a party given Monday at
Arbuckles suite in hotel here. The
screen star was arrested and placed
In Jail
Miss Rape was removed from Ar
buckles rooms in critical condition
after the party at which five men and
four women were present. Surgeons
who performed an autopsy said death
was due to peritonitis, superinduced by
an internal injury.
The complaint against Arbuckle
was made after examination of DIR.
NJ E. Rumwell, Miss ley Reiss and
AL Schumacher, motion picture man.
ager for Miss Rape
Detective Captain Duncan Mathe-
son said the evidence showed IAN at
tack was made on the girl"
Photographic records were made of
the eleven bruises found on the Lody
of Miss Rappe by DR.. Shelly Strange,
autopsy physician. The torn clothing
of the dead girl, found at the Los An
geles home of Miss Rappe's manager,
is to be brought here as evidence.
The film star had not realized she
was dangerously i'll, according to Mrs.
jameson, her nurse. In a statement
made to the authorities the nurse
said
"About P. NJ. Tuesday, September
G, l was called by Mrs belmont to
room 1927 of the st. Francis Hotel.
There l met Miss Virginia Rappe, who
was in bed. She complained Of having
pains in her abdomen and lower chest.
Mrs belmont was there
virginia said she had attended
party at Roscoe Arbuckles rooms at
the st. Francis Hotel Monday after
noon, September 6. She said she took
three drinks and then knew nothing.
I don't remember whether Arbuckle
asked or pulled her into his room,
which adjoins the room where the par
ty was held.
Mrs belmont said Virginia was
screaming and yelling and that she,
Mrs. belmont, went to the door sew
eral times and found it locked; then
she kicked on the door several times
and then Arbuckle opened it, she told
me
Miss Rape was pulling at her
clothes. Mrs. belmont and the rest
of the party then put Miss Rape into
a cold bath. They sent for the hotel
physician, who gave her I'll injection
or morphine
Mrs. belmont then called DR.. Rum
well. He ordered her taken to DR..
Wakefeld's sanitarium Mrs. belmont
and myself went in the ambulance
with Miss Rape. DR.. Rumwell had
charge there. / called Miss Cumber-
land of the King Ambulance Service
for Wednesday night
Miss Rape told me at the hotel