Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-26
DEFENDANT GUILTY
IN PANTAGES CASE.
Wife of Theatrical Magnate
j Faces One to Ten Years
in Prison.

By the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES, September 26.-Mrs
Lois Pantages, convicted OF man
slaughter in connection with the death
OF o japanese gardener, after col
lision of their automobiles, was under
the care of physicians today. The
theatrical magnates wife fell to the
floor in the courtroom, where the JuryS
verdict was read, last night and was
carried sobbing and screaming from the
building.
The five women and seven men who
had heard three weeks of testimony
concerning Mrs. Pantages' alleged in
toxicated condition at the time OF
fatal collision June Is. and the subSe-
quent death of Juro Rokumoto, found
her criminally responsible within 70
hours after the case had been placed
in their hands.
Sentence Tomorrow.
Superior Judge Carlos Hardy set 2
pm, tomorrow as the hour of pronounce
ment of sentence. which is fixed by Cali
fornia law at from l to 10 years i'm
prisonment. He permitted the woman
her freedom under $4,000 bond post
ed prior to the trial pending action on
motions for probation and new trial.
which defense counsel promised.
prominent group OF attorneys, IN
GLIDING Max Steuer of New York, de-
Tended Mrs. Pantages.
Alexander T. Pantages. husband OF
the convicted woman, who himself faces
trial October 1 on two statutory charges
brought by Eunice Pringle, young
dancer, sat through the final episode OF
the sensational trial with tears stream
ing down his face. The millionaire
vaudeville impreSsario was unable to
help his wife out of the courtroom, after
she became hysterical and fell at his
feet.
One of the outgrowths of the sensa-
tional trial was the beginning OF con-
tempt of court proceedings against the
Rev. DR.. R. p. Fighting Bob) Shuler.
Church. South. in Los Angeles. and the
Rev. Gustav Briegleb, another pronli-
nent pastor here.
Preachers Statements.
The Rev. DR.. Shuler and the Rev. Mr..
Briegleb were accused of deliberately
casting reflections upon the integrity OF
the jury which convicted Mrs. Pantages.
At the time the jury was selected the
Rev. Dr. Shuler in a speech hroadcast
by the radio station of his church al
legedly said the jury was hung" before
the taking of testimony had begun. and
that he could name the man vino would
hang" it. DR.. Briegleb was accused
Of having made similar statements from
his pulpit in st. Paul's Presbyterian
Church.
Judge Hardy yesterday ordered the
two ministers to appear Monday to show
cause why they should not be adJudged
in contempt. The county grand jury
previously had censured the alleged re-
marks of the pastors. Shuler himself
when called upon by Judge Hardy for
an explanation, declared he had based
his remarks not upon direct information
but upon reports that had come to him.
Jurors expressed surprise that insin-
uations had been made they would not
reach a verdict. They said five ballots
had been taken. with the majority IA
voring conviction of murder in the Sec
ord degree from the first, and only one
voting for acquittal. When compro-
mise on manslaughter was proposed nc
dificulty was experienced. Ira F. Gay
the juror against whom the pastors
launched their attack, declared he would
not comment. But I was not the de-
tense juror" he said.
Will Ask Probation.
Joseph Ford, defense attorney, said
every effort would be made to obtain
probation or a new trial for Mrs. Pan
tages and If failure was met in these two
moves the verdict would be appealed to
the highest court.
District Attorney Buron Fits, who