The Ghost of Virginia Rappe

By Crusader1307

The St. Francis Hotel, located in the City of San Fransico, California (US), is chock full of History. Since opening a year before The Great Quake of 1906 (which decimated San Fransico), it was one of the very few buildings to survive both The Quake and result days of fire that swept thru ‘’The City by The Bay’’. Although fire damaged, it was renovated and repaired. The Hotel is a ‘’Who’s Who’s’’ of World History. The 32-story structure has seen (7) US Presidents, World Head’s of State and an encyclopedia of Film and Arts Celebrities – stay at The St. Francis. Famous and Infamous have graced it’s Halls. The Hotel has had more than it’s fair share of Ghost Stories and Hauntings as well in it’s 120 years. But one in particular is perhaps it’s most ‘’famed’’. It involves Silent Film Era Actress Virginia Rappe and Roscoe Arbuckle. It was the year 1921. MANY Silent Film Era Stars have stayed n The St. Francis. Often renting the higher priced Suites and State Rooms for Their ‘’parties’’, The Hotel attracted them for it’s opulence. Roscoe Arbuckle was (then), a HUGE Comedy Star. Know as ‘’Fatty’’ Arbuckle – for His rotund frame and baby face (literally), Roscoe had quite a different reputation off screen. Known to be a heavy drinker and ‘’party animal’’, Arbuckle was by definition – an ‘’angry drunk’’. He was also know for seducing women with money and alcohol. Most if these ‘’girls’’ were in fact ‘’up and coming’’ Actresses who would use any chance to secure ‘’screen time’’. ‘’Fatty’s’’ size meant nothing to the fact that He had plenty of connections. Arbuckle’s Parties were quite legendary for their excessive ‘’booze and orgies’’.

Virginia Rappe was a relative unknown to Film. Pretty, She was still a ‘’minor Actress’’ with (as some have said), no particular talent outside of he attractiveness. When She heard of Arbuckle’s Party at The St. Francis Hotel, She like many others without invitation, used Their ‘’looks’’ to secure entrance. On September 5^th of 1921, Arbuckle was having a ‘’Labor Day’’ Party in His massive Suite. Dozens of Guests came and went throughout the day and night, Virginia being one of them. But it was in the early morning hours of the 6^th, that drunken Guests were awoken to screams. There in a hallway of the Suite was Virginia. Her gown was covered in blood. Holding Her abdomen, she was reported to have said ‘’He Killed Me, He Killed Me’’. Rushe to a Hospital, Rappe would be examined. It was determined by Doctors that Rappe had been ‘’violated repeatedly’’ by some sort of ‘’blunt device’’ in Her most ‘’intimate of intimates’’. She died on September 9^th 1921 of a ‘’ruptured bladder and sepsis’’. Immediately, Arbuckle was blamed, based on His often ‘’rough handling’’ of Women. The Studios circled around Their ‘’money earner’’, but Newspapers internationally ran reports. Arrested and placed on trial, it was later determined by Police, that a glass bottle was used to violate Rappe – repeatedly. However, despite the lurid facts and length of the trial, no evidence could be brought against Arbuckle. He was released from trial. Despite His Fan appeal, His reputation never recovered. Let go by The Studio, He tried to produce His own Films (and others). He would die nearly bankrupt in 1933 of a heart attack.

Although much of the original St. Francis has been renovated – with rooms being sealed or sub-divided, the original Suite no longer exists. But this does NOT stop the many Guests thru the years reporting the ‘’seeing’’ of a ‘’pale white lady, wearing out of date clothing (1920s)’’ often coming out of elevators and walking threw walls. ‘’She’’ is said to be quite ‘’distraught looking’’. She has even been seen in the Hotel Bar, caught as the fleeting shadow of ‘’someone sitting in a far unoccupied booth’’. Many attribute this to being the Ghost of Virginia, perhaps still looking for some justice…which will never come!