The Republican., 1922-04-20
FATTY ARBUCKLE
FREED BY JURY
Film Actor Acquitted by AC-
ClamatiOn In Rappe Man
slaughter Case.
PROSECUTOR IS SATISFIED
Jurors Out Six Minutes-Famous Movie
Comedian Gets Acquttal After
Third Trial-Disorder Fore
stalled by Order Of Judge.

San Francisco.-A verdict of acQuit-
tai was returned by jury in the third
trial Of Roscoe c. Fatty" Arbuckle
on manslaughter charge growing out
,of the death of Miss Virginia Rappe,
motion picture actress. The jury was
out six minutes.
The defendant was deeply affected.
He received the verdict with a great
sigh of relief There was no demon
stration, the court having warned
against it. Mrs. NIinta Durfee Ar
buckle, the defendants wife, cried
quietly. Both she and Arbuckle shook
hands with the jurors.
The quick return of the jury was a
surprise.
Edward Brown, whose presence on
the jury was objected to by the prose
cutiOn, was foreman. There was a
slight delay when the jury returned,
r due to the absence of the district at
.torney.
I On September 5, 1921, a drinking
party was conducted in Arbuckle's
suite in the Hotel st. Francis, which
was attended by Miss Rappe, her
friend Mrs. Bambina Maud belmont;
tZey Provost and Alice Blake, show
girls, and others. After Arbuckle had
been alone in his room with Miss
Rappe for a brief period, she was
fO1n6 On q bo1 oDDoroutl,. :, oo,r,,
Four days later she died from the
effects of ruptured bladder.
On September 10, Mrs. belmont
swore to a murder charge against Ar
buckle and three days later the grand
jury returned an Indictment. a police
court hearing of Mrs. DelmOnts charge
resulted in its being reduced to man
slaughter, and Arbuckle went to trial
on this charge on November A. On
Sunday, December i, the jury ended
period of deliberatiOn covering forty
three hours with the statement that
it could not agree The second trial
started January II and ended Febru-
ary 3, the jury being out forty-foUr
testified i'm the first /
trial, but did not do so In the second. |
Miss Rappe had come to San Fran |
cisco with her manager, A. Semnacher, |
and Mrs. belmont for a visit, and were
invited to the Arbuckle party by Fred
Fischback, room mate of Arbuckle. Ac-
cording to the testimony there was a
generous supply Of liquor at the party
and Arbuckle entertained the guests
while wearing his pajamas and bath
robe.
After the party Miss Rappe was
taken to another room of the hotel
and later to the sanatarium, where snei
died. While the investigation into the
death was progressing, ley Provost
and. Alice Blake, the two principal
prosecution witnesses, were sent for
safekeeping" to the home OF an attache
of the district attorneys office, the
fear being expressed that they might
be approached" This action of the
district attorney was characterized as
imprisonment" by Gavin McNab, CHIEF
defense counsel, and was made an
issue in both trials.
The testimony Of Miss Provost and
Miss Blake in the second trIal an
fered so materially from their state
ments in the first trial that the prose
cution made an attempt to impeach
them and designate hem "hostile wiz,
nesses.' The attempt was ruled Oft
by the court. Both had testified in the
first trial that they heard Miss Rappe
say while suffering on the bed: He
hurt me" In the second hearing theh
recollection was hazy on this point.
Incidents of the first trial were the
bringing of a perjury charge against
Mrs. Minnie NeighbOrs, Los Angeles.
and the mysterious poisoning Of Mrs
Irene Morgan, Pasadena, both defense
witnesses. The charge against Mrs
/ Neighbors was dismissed and Mrs
Morgan recovered. Incidents of th&
second trial were the failure of Ar,
buckle to testify. The attempts +
impeach the prosecution witnesses re
ferred to and the decision of the de.
fense not to make a final argument.