Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-09
TWO WOMEN HELD
FOR BRIBERY PLOT
States Witness in Pantages
Case Declared Offered
$4,000 in Note.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
LOS ANGELES, September 9.-rTwo
Hollywood young women were in Jail
in default of $4,000 bail each today,
charged with suggesting to States
witness that $4,000 might be given
him If he would testify against the
State in the Forthcoming criminal as
sault trial of Alexander Pantages, mil
1ionaire theater magnate.
The two, Nancy Lee, 25-year-old
sculptress, and her half-sister, Janice
Hill, 19-year-old stenographer. were
accused by District Attorney Buron
Fits of making the offer in note
to the witness. whose identity was
withheld.
PLANTED" in House Charged.
Miss Lee and Miss Hill were ar
rested yesterday in rooming house In
which Fits said he was convinced
they had been planted" week ago
by persons seeking to intimidate prose-
cltion witnesses in the Pantages case.
Fits later declared he might disclose
evidence and names of those whom
he believed responsible.
The note, Fits said, was turned over
to him by man living at the rooming
house. He and the landlady of the
house were identified as States wit
nesses in the case of Pantages, who is to
GO on trial September % on charges
brought by Eunice Pringle, 17-year-old
dancer.
The note, Fits said, had been slip
ped under the mans door, and Sug-
gested there might be SIS, 900 in it for
you If you will testify that the Pringle
girl" inflicted upon herself bruises
which she has declared were made by
the 54-year-old theater magnate.. The
writing on the note, he added, was
Identical with that of Miss Lee.
Invited to Parties.
The roomer, and also the landlady,
the district attorney explained, had
advised him four days ago that the
two young women had urged them to
Join drinking parties in their room
Both refused. and Saturday night the
note was employed.
The girls were formally charged with
attempting to influence witnesses, sus-
picion of assault with deadly weapon
and possession of highly potent liquor.
The two later charges followed a
battle staged by the two young women
to prevent their arrest Sunday after
noon. The landlady, who was placed
as a guard over them while they pre-
pared for their removal to jail, rushed
out of the room in the midst Of sounds
of a fight. She said that Miss Lee
threatened her with a butcher knife,
while Miss Hill kicked her.
When confronted by Fits the TWO
girls denied they had been planted
in the rooming house or that their
presence there was for any but legit1-
mate reasons. Shown the note, Miss
Lee paled slightly. She was ordered to
COPY its contents in her own handwrit-
ing and the arrest of herself and COM
panion followed.
Handwriting Compared.
Fits stated that the penmanship not
only was identical but that the note
had been written on the back OF a
typewriter letter which was addressed
to Miss Lee.
Pantages' wife. Mrs. Lois Pantages,
Is on trial for second-degree murder as
the result of the death of Joe Roku-
motto, Japanese gardener, in an auto
mobile collision. The trial will be re-
sumed tomorrow, today being legal
holiday, Admission day, in California.
Prosecuting Attorneys James P. Cos
tello and Harold Jones announced to-
day that a new witness, woman who
observed the fatal collision, had been
located. Costello said she would be one
of the first witnesses to be called by
the State at the resumption OF the
trial.