The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1921-09-27
NEW TURN IN -. !:
ARBUCKLE CASE


ton in court today by Roscoe C.
r'Fatty" Arbuckle's chief counsel
Frank Dominguez, that. he believed
blackmail had been contemplated
against the film comedian and tha
| this motive figures in the defendant
, arrest on a murder charge was or
dered put before the grand jury to-
night by District Attorney Matthew
A. Brady.
Brady issued subpoenas for Do.
minguez and his associated counsel,
Charles H. Brennan of San Francisco
and Milton NJ. Cohen of Los Angeles
to appear at tonight's grand jury ses..
sion and repeat their charges.
The action was taken, Brady said
on the request of Alfred Semnacher,
who was accused by Dominguez toda.
of having conspircd with Mrs. Bam.
bina belmont, the complaining wit
ness against Arbuckle, to take torn
parts of the clothing of Miss Virginia
Rappe to Los Angeles for the pur.
pose, Dominguez said, of extorting
| money from the defendant, who is
charged with the murder of Miss
Rappe. s,.,...
Dominguez made his assertion af .
ter long questioning of Semnacher re-
garding his previous testimony in the
case.
Police Judge Lazarus, before whom
the hearing is being held, refused
however, to allow Dominguez to ques.
ton Semnacher along this line, say
ing it had no part in the present pro-
ceedings.
Semnacher's testimony took up
most Of the afternoon session. In the
morning session DR.. Arthur Bearsdlee
'who treated Miss Rappe after the
revel in Arbuckle's hotel suite, testi-
fed he discovered evidence of rup-
tured bladder early in the morning
after the party and that he advised
her removal to a hospital. The de!
Tense, was unable to make him admit
that she could have been suffering
from anything else. DR.. Bearsdlee
reiterated his diagnosis and said he
found her writhing in pain so great
he had to administer sedatives three
i times.
| Replying to a hypothetical question
regarding the cause Of torn blad
der, he said, an injury such as that
j jdescfibed would have, been caused by
Ian external force 1sucb as q fall or q
violent vomiting might have produced
that effect.
Evidences of alcoholism were over.
shadowed by Miss Rappe's suffering
from the rupture, DR.. Bearsdlee said
He testified that Mrs. belmont, who
attended the injured girl, showed nc
signs of being under the influence OF
alcohol or drugs.
The defense pursued its question
ing of Semnacher with great vigor
causing him to announce that he must
have been misquoted if he said he was
Miss Rappes manager. His acquaint
ance with both her and Mrs. belmont
was more or less casual until shortly
before their trip to San Francisco
where they attended Arbuckle's party
he said.
Dominguez questioned the witness
closely about a purse he produced
from his pocket, saying it was Mis-.
Rappe's and asking what connection
; he had with it. Semnacher replied
that, after the party Miss Rapp,
; asked him to look for it and that OF
asking Arbuckle about it next day Ar
buckle produced it from desk. Sem
nacher said he then took it to Mis-
Rape in the nearby room where sh
lay ill.
Asked about Mrs. Delmont's con
dtion at the party Semnacher testi
: fled that she was dressed in yellow
, pajamas, and appeared "lit up" o
? "about half drunk" when he first saw
her. He denied hearing any scream
, from the room where Miss Rappe af
terward was found in distress.
! The defense drew from Semnache
the admission that he might hav
? misunderstood Arbuckle's exact Ian
' guage regarding the ice incident. II
: said Arbuckle had described it to hin
, and others but later he told the pros
ecution that he did not mistake Al
buckles meaning.
i 81 only met Mrs. belmont thre
times in four years before this trip t
D San Francisco" the witness said.
@ "But called her Maude," aske
l Dominiguez.
"I might have" answered Sem
S nacher.
Dominguez questioned him closel
about his action the night before tn
party when he, Mrs. belmont an
l Miss Rape stayed at the same hote
Semnacher testified that the door b,
tween his room and that occupied b
the two women was unlocked most {
the time but that he entered the
4 apartment only when the trio met