The Fatty Arbuckle case (1962)

trial, got on the stand and decried the methods of the State in its treatment of her. It seemed obviously inspired by McNab, who listened to her with a slight smile on his face. "For two and a half months before the first trial I was a virtual prisoner," she said angrily. 1 was held against my will in the home of the mother of a man attached to the D.A.'s office. I was forced to be always alone. I was told what to eat and who to see and what to say. I was frightened then of the law but I'm not now. I know my rights." McNab's smile became broader. Friedman asked antagonistically if she had been mistreated in any way. She refused to answer. They were delighted to see her march haughtily back to her seat Now there was a procession of the same witnesses saying, in different ways, the same things that had been stated at the first trial. Everything sounded familiar. The only change was that there was less name calling. Somewhere Brady must have gotten the idea that if the staff was more gentlemanly, the jury might be more inclined to vote Arbuckle guilty. Actually, everyone— the press, the public, the defense and the State— was waiting impatiently for Zey Prevon. That's where the excitement promised to be. Zey didn't disappoint. The star witness for the State in the first trial had this to say: "In the first trial I said I heard Virginia Rappe say, 'I'm dying, I'm dying. He hurt me.' That wasn't entirely true." There was an audible stir in the courtroom. She went on, "I did hear Virginia say, Tm dying. I'm dying.' I didn't hear her say, 'He hurt me' or anything like that." She paused. "Now you want to know why I lied. Well Mr. Brady tried to force me to sign that httle bit about 'He hurt me.' I didn't want to. They locked me in a cell and said I'd never come out until I signed the statement. Well, I'm no heroine. After a while I begged to come out. I had visions of spending the rest of my life in jail." 115