The Fatty Arbuckle case (1962)

ably happened. What took place during the twenty minutes of silence before the scream? One theory was that Arbuckle had relations twice with Virginia, and that the accident happened during the second time. There were many other conjectures, though few were as wide-eyed as Arbuckle's first statement when he was arrested. "Why me?" he asked. "I was never alone in the same room with her. I was just having breakfast with some friends and the first thing you know, Virginia is on the bed shrieking, 1 can't breathe,' and ripping at her clothes." Other theories were numerous and varied. Remember, thirty people had been in and out of that suite, and there were seventy witnesses called during the trials. One rumor was that the drunken Arbuckle had ravaged her with a coke bottle. Another said he used a jagged stick of ice. Friendly defense witnesses claimed Virginia wanted Arbuckle as much as he wanted her. They attributed her ripped internal organs to a constructive weakness. There was constant contradiction at the trials. Some said Virginia was lying nude on the bed when they entered the room. Others said she was fully dressed but her clothes were torn. For a while her clothes disappeared, and then they appeared mysteriously in Maude's room at the Palace, where police had looked before. They were torn and ragged. There were still other contradictions: In a case involving as much damage to internal organs as Virginia had, there should have been external bleeding There was no blood on the bed or on her clothes. Some said Virginia was covered with bruises. Some said she had no bruises. Some said Arbuckle was a mass of scratches. This was disproven at an examination. At the hearing there were defense witnesses who insisted Virginia Rappe went into the Arbuckle bedroom first, then beckoned Arbuckle to follow. This was later dropped. Virginia's moral character was an important point at 41