The Fatty Arbuckle case (1962)

After much whispering with Brady, Friedman said that he believed there was collusion among the Arbuckle forces in an effort to take the onus off Arbuckle and put it on Fred Fishbeck, another member of their clan. McNab just stood grinning during all this. On Friday, December 2nd, at 4:15 p.m., the case went to the jury. Was Arbuckle guilty of manslaughter in the death of Virginia Rappe? Both sides claimed a clear-cut i victory. The jury hadn't been out an hour when they asked to i have the much-discussed door brought to their room for j study. When the door arrived they decided they didn't need it Arbuckle was suddenly a caged Hon. He paced up and down, walking in and out of the courtroom Many eyes were on him as he paced. The jury had come to no decision by 10 p.m., so they were locked up for the night The rumors were that the jury was eleven to one for acquittal ( It was later proven to be fact.) It was also rumored that a woman was the lone holdout. ( That too, was proven to be fact ) Milton U'Ren of the DA.'s office gave out a statement saying, "Arbuckle lived like a Belshazzar sitting on this throne pouring wine." He said that Arbuckle was doomed because justice always triumphed. The San Francisco police said the Arbuckle jury was being watched closer than any San Francisco jury in twenty-five years. Mail was censored coming in and going out of the hotel rooms where the jury was. Four deputy sheriffs were on duty at all times outside the juror's rooms. There was a tension in San Francisco as the nation waited for a verdict. Milton Cohen, Arbuckle counsel, got a threatening letter which stated, "If your fat friend gets off, well kill you and him.'' Cohen turned it over to the D.A.'s office. After twenty-five hours of deliberation both Brady and Gavin McNab asked Judge Lauderbach to discharge the jury. Both sides instinctively felt that a jury hung too long 110