The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-02-05
JURY GETS FLYNN
RAPECASE TODAY
Prosecutor Assails De.
tense; Movie Star Says
Little Last Few Days
BY FREDERICK G. oTHMAN
UNITED Press Hollywood COrre-
SnAnAenkl

BY FREDERICK G. 0THMAN
UNITED Press Hollywood COrre-
SpOndent)
Hollywood, Feb. 5 - (U.P) - The
state wound up Its statutory rape
case against Enrol Flynn today on
the theme "a man takes his pleas
ure at his peril" and the Jurors en-
tered the skyscraper courthouse
prepared to stay until they'd de-
cided the movie hero'S fate.
Judge Leslie e. Still allotted Dis
trict Attorney John Hopkins until
noon to finish his closing statement
denouncing Flynn as q man afraid
to tell the truth"
Then, the judge said, he would
spend perhaps 30 minutes instruct
ing the nine housewives and the
three elderly men on the jury and
turn the case over to them to de-
eide whether the leading man Of a
score Of million dollar movies must
spend any part Of possible so year
sentence In San Quentin prison.
The case, one Of the most lurid
in q town Of lurid trials, thus may
reach Its conclusion before night,
only few days short Of a month
after Peggy Satterlee, 10, and Bet
ty Hansen, II, began their testi-
mony, much Of which turned out to
be unprintable.
"Iere in California" said Hop
kins. gazing upon the Sober-faced
Flynn, I'VE have saying that a
man takes his pleasure at his peril.
It does not matter whether the de-
fendant did not know these girls
were under age when he had rela-
tons with them.
"It does matter that he did have
relations with them both. That, un-
der law, open and shut, Is statutory
rape. There Is no way out Of it."
Hopkins characterized the defense
presented during two days Of sweat
dripping oratory by Attorney Jerry
GAesler. as so much rubbish"
"You will have to toss it all in the
ash can," he said. as he demanded
to know where was Bird Dog Bus
ter Wiles?"
where Is Bird Dog Buster" he
continued, land why didn't he testi-
fy about how he and Flynn got to-
gether and took this Satterlee child
aboard Flynn's yacht?"
Bird Dog Buster, a red-faced in
dividual who functions as Flynn's
movie stunt man and constant COM
panion, was In court, grinning at
Hopkins. The deputy prosecutor ig-
nored the grin and turned to Ar
mand Knapp. the Warner Brothers
studio messenger boy, who brought
Miss Hansen to the party at which
Flynn allegedly attacked her.
"Well Just call him the rat"
Hopkins said, for that is what he
ISL
BY now Il appeared that Hopkins
had an uncompllmentary name for
almost everyone who testified for
the defense. A policeman. he said.
was - stubborn mule" He called
the testimony Of Fred MeEvoy. host
Of the party, obviously silly" while
Flynn, he said, with q bitter smile:
"Is this innocent young fellow
sitting here NJ this table"
flynn, who's had little 70 say the
last few days 70 hss feminine nd.
mlrers IN the corridors, stared at
the floor with no change OF express
sion on his face,
Hopkins said the state admitted
frankly that Mlas Hansen had par.
lielpated Ia IN oct Of peEyerslon
With another man; that Miss sat
laFles had submitted 70 all illegal
operation about q year after she
went yachting with Flynn.
"But these things have nothing
whatever 10 DO with this case" he
said. Later the state Will consider
iheee other things thoze girls. did
DO not know nav whether slls3
Will e brought % court. llieunelves
10 iace charges, but 4 Dc know that
- mnaa ~ eeai eth than"