The Story - Page 1

AND SO IT BEGINS...

...Exonerated three times. Roscoe Arbuckle was found to be completely innocent of the crime(s) he had been accused of, falsified incrimination covering up the blackmail and lies perpetrated against him by a series of people.

Roscoe "Arbuckle turned himself into the San Francisco police on Sept. 10. He was charged with manslaughter and his mugshot made front-page news across the nation. Arbuckle told a very different story of what happened. He claimed that the drunken Virginia became so hysterical that she tore off her clothes. Complaining of shortness of breath, Arbuckle said, she began vomiting, which he thought was the result of drinking too much liquor. He tried to calm her down by getting her in a chilled bathtub and then called for the hotel doctor.

At the trial, an ambitious district attorney named Matthew Brady used and misused his witnesses to make his case against Arbuckle. There were conflicting testimonies and a great deal of drama, including the claim that Rappe’s fingerprints on the doorknobs suggested her attempt to escape the room, and that the doctor and nurse treating Rappe testified that she did not mention being raped — testimony the district attorney had thrown out as hearsay.

Other hearsay claims included the story that Rappe was suffering severe abdominal pain for over six weeks, which she blamed on a sexual relationship with another man. This statement is especially interesting because if Rappe contracted a sexually transmitted disease, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, the infection could have advanced into pelvic inflammatory disease, which can develop into a serious, chronic condition. Another theory was that she may have suffered from the effects of a botched abortion, which also could have led to her urinary bladder problems."

Arbuckle’s lawyers presented the coroner’s autopsy report that concluded that Rappe had chronic inflammation to her bladder but there were “no marks of violence on the body, no signs that the girl had been attacked in any way.” This disproved the allegation of an external cause or force (such as Arbuckle jumping on top of her) for the bladder rupture. But the pathologists also reported no evidence of pregnancy, previous abortions, or sexually transmitted diseases.1 It is most unfortunate that this young woman perished so young and so soon, caught up in a world of fast-living, in a place where sin prevails. We can only pray that her soul has found peace.

Clearly, the many faces of the man during, and after, trial, portray shock, trauma, and a unmistaken sadness, albeit; heartbreak. The suffering endured afterward by the once jovial and gentle giant took it's toll on his health which had already been compromised. Roscoe merely lived day-to-day, never knowing when he would become whole again, if ever. His friends remained close by him as did ex-wife, Minta Durfree. Roscoe's sister, Nora St. John and her son, Al, remained by Roscoe's side throughout the entire ordeal. Years later, when reminiscing about his beloved uncle, Al St. John would weep whenever calling to mind the tragic fate that befell the mentor of many.

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1. PBS NEWS HOUR Health Sep 9, 2020 9:00 AM EDT - Dr. Howard Markel