New York Daily News

FRAN FARMER GETS 6 MOS. IN JAIL, HITS MATRON, FELLS A COP

January 14, 1943

Frances Farmer, once a glamorous movie actress was sentenced to 180 days in jail today for violating probation and knocked down a policeman with a right to the jaw when they tried to drag her off to a cell.

"Have you ever had a broken heart?" she screamed at a matron as she was being strapped into a straightjacket for removal to Los Angeles County Jail.

She said nothing else to indicate what she had meant. She was divorced last June from Lief Erickson, actor.

The 29 year old actress was arrested for breaking her word not to drive a car or drink intoxicants. She had been convicted of drunk driving last October. Last night she was reported in the cocktail room of a glittering Hollywood hotel, where she was rapidly stripping off her clothes, and where a detective arrested her later.

Brought before Police Judge Marshall Hickson today, Miss Farmer was in a defiant mood. He asked her if she had reported to her probation officer.

"No" she replied, "he didn't come around and see me"

The judge asked if she was in a fight Tuesday night at the Knickerbocker hotel.

"Yes" she said :I was fighting for my country as well as myself."

"Have you driven a car since you were put on probation?" she was asked.

"No, I haven't" she snapped back. "But only because I couldn't get my hands on one."

The judge attempted to query her again as to the extent of her drinking.

"Listen" she said, her voice rising, "I put liquor in my milk, I put liquor in my coffee and in my orange juice. What do you want me to do, starve to death?"

Judge Hickson rose from his chair and shouted out the 180 day sentence.

"Fine" Miss Farmer shouted back at him.

The she walked quietly to a room outside the courtroom and asked to use the telephone. When she was denied this request, she swung at the police matron. Two policemen hurried to aid the matron and in the struggle one was knocked down.

The policemen took off Miss Farmer's shoes to soften her kicks. Finally, she was carried to a cell in a straightjacket. She continued to scream and kick.

Police said they had been searching for Miss Farmer for two weeks. When detective Earl Reinhold awakened her in her Hollywood hotel yesterday to take her into custody she fled into a bathroom, then made her reappearance in the nude. At police headquarters, she listed her occupation as such an unorthodox one that it caused the booking officer to jump when he read it.

Provided by George Snow