The Seward gateway., 1922-03-29
A2DljcKLE EOT
 SUPERSTITill||s
 OII 1HIRTEEN7H
!oTED FILM COMEDIAN IS NOT sUPERsTiTioUs AND DOES NOT FEAR OUTCOME OF TRIAL ON CHARGE OF MANsLAuGHTER

SAN FRANCISCO: Again does inc nystlc figure of 13 enter into the life of Roscoe Fatty) Arbuckle. The film comedian went on trial the third time n the thirteenth as a result of the leath of Virginia Rappe, pretty film tctress, who died following a Labor Day party given at the St. Francis ho, ,cl by Arbuckle
 Since the inception of the case the
 umbeG thirteen has figured persist ntly.
 But it has no terrors for Arbuckle
 The thirteen is just as good a day as
 n.y." the film comedian said as he ap-
 cared in the courtroom in which he as spent so much Of his time in the
 St few months.
 There are prospects that the present rial will be even longer draWn out han the first two. The first trial re. iuired about three weeks resulting i;1
 "hung" jury, which voted ten to two , acquit. The second trial took four
 .ee!<s and resulted in majority for
 onvioton.
 The task of selecting the present ury was entered into with greater are than in the two previous cases. .-
 An entire new jury panel was 4rawn, many Of whom have had little @ourt room or jury room experiences Recent filmIand scandals including he Taylor case are expected to enter jnto the examination Of the jury in order that the defense may be assured that no prospective juror had permit ted these things to influence or preiu lice him or her against the defendant
 Once the jury was selected and the taking of evidence begun it was ex- pected that each side would take greater care in the presentation of the ease than was shown in either of the previous trials
 At the start the defense let it be un- deTstood that all the facts would be given in this third trial On positive instructions from Arbuckle certain mat ters relating to the dead girl were not nlaced in evidence in either of the pre- vious trials The defense has offered these together with two affidavits talk n in Chicago. Despite a desperate 0ght bv those state, these affidavitg ve~e introduced in the trial.
 Sung by the assertion of members 0f the second iurv which heard the ev- idence in the Arbucl1le case that the defense was weak, the comedian's at torneys have left no point open. Tn the second trial Arbuckle failed to talIe the stand because the state read his testimony at the first trial into the record, and defense attornevs waived their right to argue the case before the jury
 The state is minus one of it's star witnesses, Fey Provost, a show girl who with Alice Blake, attended the party and had considerable to say in regard to the conduct of those attend ing. Her testimony at the previous trial was attempted to be read into the evidence, but the state had no way of compelling her attendance She proved a reluctant witness at both trials, and the state fought hard to have her declared a hostile witness at the second trial.
 A battle royal ensued over the state introducing evidence showing finger prints from a door in the room in the hotel suite in which the party was held, and which an expert identified as those of Miss Rappe, with Arbuckle's superimposed
 The defense savagely attacked this evidence, one expert alleging they were not genuine.
 The testimony introduced today of the nurse at Miss Rappe's bedside at the time of her death. was distinct surprise to the defense, and has caused 2 scurrying of counsel in an effort to combat it's impression upon the jury. Her testimony was bitterly attacked by Arbucl1le's attorneys, who calimed she had been bribed since the previous trials