LOS ANGELES, May 1 – Supervisors Tuesday voted 3-0 for the appointment of a special prosecutor to “ferret out” which of two attorneys in the Manson murder trial leaked information to a news reporter in violation of the judge’s “gag” order.

Supervisor James Hayes, who made the motion, called on the County Grand Jury to empower a special prosecutor to investigate the case, which resulted in the jailing of reporter William Farr for refusing to disclose the sources of the leaked information.

Hayes said he felt a special prosecutor was necessary since both Atty. Gen. Evelle Younger and Dist. Atty. Joseph Busch were involved in the case in one way or another. He noted that Younger was district attorney when the Manson trial began and that Farr once worked as a press deputy for Busch.

Hayes said he was calling for the probe because of new sworn testimony in a deposition which was released to the press last week.

The deposition from Stephen R. Kay, a member of the prosecution team in the Manson trial, stated that he was threatened with demotion by then chief prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi if he (Kay) told what he knew about the information illegally leaked to Farr.

In releasing the deposition, taken in a civil matter related to the Farr case, William Norris, who is opposing Bugliosi for the Democratic nomination for state attorney general, said the sworn testimony “seriously” implicates Bugliosi in the Farr case.

Norris, Los Angeles Police Commission president, added, “This evidence casts the gravest suspicions concerning whether Vincent Bugliosi violated a court order and committed perjury.

“If he did, he should be barred from practicing law, much less be a candidate for attorney general,” Norris added.

The vote for a special prosecutor came over the objections of Supervisor Baxter Ward, who earlier in the day said he felt such a vote would be “committing the Board of Supervisors to a totally political venture.”

In calling for the special prosecutor, Hayes also urged that the investigation be conducted speedily, saying that the statute of limitations runs out June 5 on the first of two perjury acts allegedly committed by the two attorneys, who swore under oath to Judge Charles Older that they were not responsible for the leak.

Farr was working for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner when he obtained a transcript taken of information provided to the prosecution by Virginia Graham concerning an alleged plot by members of the so-called Manson Family to kidnap and or murder a number of prominent celebrities, including Frank Sinatra. At the time the story was printed, Farr was protected by state law from any prosecution because of the “shield” provisions allowing a newsman to keep his sources of information confidential.

He later left the newspaper to join Busch’s staff, and it was at that time that Judge Older ordered another hearing into the violation of his “gag” order. Farr was directed to name his sources, but he refused, maintaining his reporter’s privilege, and was held for contempt of court because the judge said Farr was no longer a newsman.

By NOEL SWANN