Evening star., 1921-09-23
OBSERVED BRUISES
ON ACTRESS BODY
witnesses Testify at Police
Court Hearing in Ar
buckle Case.
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press,
SAN FRANCISCO. September ga
The spotlight of testim ony again today
turned toward the tragedy OF Virginia
Rappe. film actress, to determine
whether Roscoe (Fatty) Arbuclsle. film
comedian, will be tried ON the charge
OF murder or ON the charge Of man.
slaughter in connection with tb e girls
death
Arbuckle this afternoon was to he
brought from Jail. where he is held
without bail, to a police court for con-
tinuation of his preliminary hearing.
which will decide whether he shall be
held to answer to- the superior court
ION the murder charge sworn against
him by another guest at the party,
Mrs. e. n. belmont. A grand jury in
dictment already returned accuses him
of manslaughrer.
Defense Plans Secret.
The first session of Arbuckhe's pre-
lminary hearing. held late yesterday,
was adjourned without his attorneys
having asked question in cross-ex-
animation or giving any indication OF
what their plans for his defense
might be.
Attaches of the district attorneys
fense to occupy considerable time in
cross ss-examination and had no other
witnesses ready to put on the stand
before today.
Testify About Bruises.
The testimony of the three prose-
cution witnesses already before the
court. a nurse and two doctors. was
that they observed bruises on Miss
Rappe's arms and body.
The two dnr-fprS said death x]Ipo
to ruptured bladder and that the
organ was probably injured by ex-
ternal force.
DR.. Shelby Strange. who performed
the autopsy on the body of Miss
Rappe, said he found bruises on her
right arm and that on the left arm
was scar which might have been
caused by hypodermic needle.
I DR.. Ophufs said he was called in for
a post-mortem examination by DIR.
tended Miss Rappe in most of her last
illness. He found the abdomen 'horri-
bly, distended." he said. as a result
Of the rupture. and a ngestion of
blood in several organs of the lower
abdomen. The rupture. he surmised.
bladder. resulting probably from some
outside cause.
Great crowds attended yesterdays
court session and police guarded
aisles adjacent to the courtroom.
Spectators were in the main women,
the hearing being held in Judge Syl-
vain Lazarus womens court. and au-
thorities ruling that women should
have the preference over men in Sc
curing admittance.
Many of the woman spectators were
on hand yesterday five hours before
the hearing opened and several
brought basket lunches.
Today's session of court was an
nounced to begin at pm.
At tomorrow's session it is eX-
pected there will be introduced tes-
timonies regarding incidents at the
party, where. according to witne sses
at the coroner's inquest. Miss Rs'ppe
was found moaning and screaming
after having been alone in room
with Arbuckle.
District Attorney Matthew. A. Brady
said 1t had not been determined
whether AL Semincher, Miss Rappes
manager. who is reported to have
testified before the grand. jury at
Los Angeles that Arbuckie had made
admissions regarding his treatment
Of Miss Rape. would be called later.
Arbuckle listened intently to yes
serious expression. Mrs. Minta Dur
fee Arbuckle. his wife. from whom
he had been separated for FIVE years.
but who came here from New York
Monday, sat at his side with her
mother, Mrs. Flora DurfeA
Attorneys in Lively Tilt.
Miss Halston's statement that she
believed the bruises on Miss Rappe's
arm were made by the grip of an
other person prompted a debate over
its admissibility between Arbuckle's
counsel and Milton T. URen. assist
ant district attorney, who conducted
the examination The testimony was
admitted.
While the hearing was in session
Robert H. Mccormack, assistant
United States attorney general. in
charge OF prohibition prosecutions.
and Il. Forrest Mitchell. federal dis
trict prohibition enforcement officer.
conferred on the evidence that liquor
| was served and consumed at the Ar
buckle party.
Mitchell. who returned from Los
Angeles yesterday after investigating
certain phases there of the party's
alleged liquor sur ply, said he had
questioned Semnacher and that he had
made "a very good witness"