Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-09-14
CORONER BEGINS
PROBE INTO THE
DEATH Of GIRL
IN COAST CITY
Fatty ArbuckIe, Charged
With the Murder Of Miss
Virginia RappeI Is a Silent
Spectator.
STORY OF ONE GIRL
WITNESS is CHANGED
Mrs, belmont, Friend of the
Dead Actress, Describes
Alleged Attack Admits
Drinking Whisky.
(By The Associated rress.l

San Francisco, Calf, Sept, 1S.-
Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuckle. motion
picture star. was silent spectator
today at the inquest into the death
of Miss Virginia Rape. an actress,
with whose murder he is charged.
The inquest was not concluded and
will be resumed tomorrow, it was
announced, when it is proposed to
summon Miss Zeh Provost and
Miss Alice Blake, show girls who
were guests of Arbuckle on the
afternoon of September at the
party in local hotel where it is
alleged Miss Rappe received the in
juries which resulted in her death.
Their testimony was not offered
today at the inquest in order that
they might first appear before a
special session of the county grand
jury tonight. The grand jury last
night considered the Arbuckle case
but adjourned without completing
it's work.
Girls Stories Differ.
Miss Provost was a witness at
last nights session of the grand
jury, and District Attorney Mat
thew Brady today announced she
had then told a story which diff
fered in many particulars from the
statement she had given his office
of circumstances attending the Ar
buckle party. Brady said he was
conducting an investigation to
learn If any inducement to change
her story had been offered Miss
Provost.
Arbuckle. the central figure, sat
in rapt interest at the inquest to-
day while Mrs. Bambina M. Del
mont. friend of the dead actress
and her companion at the Arbuckle
party, testified.
The alleged attack was detailed
by Mrs. Belmont as she has de-
tailed 1t number of times before.
She told Coroner 4. w. B. Leland,
in response to question, that al
though she had taken several
drinks of whisky her memory re-
mained clear.
Girls Clothing Torn.
Roscoe hurt me-" Miss. Rappe
said, according to the witness. The
girls clothing was torn and dis
I heveled, she testified. and she
seemed to be in great agony.
Mrs. belmont admitted having
brought liquor up from Los Ange-
les in the automobile which her
party drove here. She said, how
ever, that Miss Rappe did not
touch this liquor.
During Miss Rappe's illness she
tried to induce Arbuckle to visit
the girl but he refused to do so,
she said.
Mrs. belmont was followed by
Ira G. Fortlouis, salesman, who
attended the party, and by Sem
nacher. who was Rappe's manager.
They denied being present when
the alleged attack took place. but
Semnacher testified that he re-
turned to the party in time to see
Miss Rape lying in great pain on
the bed. He afterward visited the
girl, he said, and she told him:
Roscoe hurt me-"
ArbuclSIe Is Indifferent.
Arbuckle's mood throughout the
day was one of indifference to
everything but the weaving out of
the story of the tragedy in the in
quest. He paid no attention to
newspaper photographers swapping
him from all sides, disdained the
many questions that were asked |
him by newspaper and other inter-
viewers and seemed to show dis
position to let things take their |
course without direction from him.
Prohibition officers announced |
that they intended to question Ar
(Continued ON Pace Two