PALOS VERDES, Dec. 4 – For four months actress Sharon Tate’s father masqueraded as a hippie trying to track down leads on the five senseless Benedict Canyon murders.

Handsome, youthful appearing Paul J. Tate, 46, grew a moustache and beard and mingled with drug addicts, lived in communes, and frequented hangouts of the youthful drifters.

He recently retired as a lieutenant colonel after spending 23 years in the U.S. Army Intelligence working on cloak and dagger assignments in various parts of the world.

Interviewed at his Palos Verdes Peninsula home Wednesday, Tate said of the arrests of several suspects in the multiple murders:

“It has taken a great weight off my mind.”

He chose not to say of what value his investigation proved in the round up of Charles Manson and his hippie cult.

“Anything I know about the case will be told at the proper time,” Tate said.

He expressed concern and disappointment with “attorneys, judges and others” revealing details about the murders.

“You don’t go around telling the world what information or evidence you have,” maintained the actress’ father.

“You never know for sure whether you have an airtight case. The murderers should be tried in court, not publicly over television or in the press.”

He was bitter about many things that have been said about his daughter in “the sensational press” and by some of the television commentators.

“Imagine how you would feel if people who never knew or met your daughter professed to be experts on her conduct, knew all about her and said all sorts of degrading things about her.

“My wife is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. My other daughter has been extremely upset. We are a very close family.

“Much has been said about Sharon which is just not true.”

Tate said he preferred not to get involved publicly — “at least not now.

“Someday I would like to air my feelings, but this isn’t the proper time.”

He said he worked ceaselessly — sometimes alone — often in the company of Southern California authorities, detectives, narcotics agents and others trying to find out who committed the bizarre killings and why.

But he again declined to say how successful his efforts had been.

“I guess I’ve seen just about everything in hippie communes, while checking out drug angles,” he said.

“Just the same. I hope nobody prejudices the case…”

By CHARLES HILLINGER