LOS ANGELES, May 18 – Prosecutors were permitted Monday to keep secret the identity and testimony of a mystery witness until 72 hours before the witness is called to testify against Charles Manson and three of his followers in the upcoming Hinman-Shea murder trial.

Superior Judge Raymond Choate issued the ruling at the request of Dep. Dist. Attys. Burton Katz and Anthony C. Manzella Jr.

They argued that they feared members of Manson’s “family” might endanger or harm the witness if they were forced to reveal the identity.

To support their position, the prosecutors called two former Manson supporters who testified against the cult leader during the Tate-LaBianca trial, to tell of the harassment directed toward them.

One of them, Barbara Hoyt, 18, told of being given a hamburger in Honolulu that she believed to be loaded with LSD. Five Manson followers were convicted of unsuccessfully plotting to keep Miss Hoyt from testifying in the matter.

During defense efforts Monday to learn the identity of the witness and what the witness will say, Manson and two of the defendants, Susan Atkins and Steve Grogan, were removed from the courtroom when they refused to remain silent and a Manson family member, Sandra Good, was held in contempt of court.

Choate jailed Miss Good for three days when she refused to confine herself to answering questions. The judge also ordered two other Manson supporters from the courtroom because they cheered and clapped when he held Miss Good in contempt.

Bruce Davis, the fourth defendant in the Hinman-Shea case, did not join in the disturbances and was allowed to remain in court.

Manson, Miss Atkins and Grogan are charged with the murder of musician Gary Hinman, and Manson, Davis and Grogan with the slaying of ranch hand Donald (Shorty) Shea.

Manson had just been permitted to return to court after his ejection last week when he started making loud comments Monday as Miss Good was testifying.

Grogan was the next to be removed, also for disturbances during Miss Good’s testimony, and then Miss Atkins; who asked to be taken from court with the others.

Choate also denied a defense motion to transfer the Hinman-Shea trial to another county because of the publicity the Manson cases have been receiving here.

The judge pointed out that the entire state had been saturated with news accounts of the cases and because of that, jurors can be selected in Los Angeles County as easily as anywhere else.

Choate permitted Manson and the other two to return to court in the afternoon and later postponed the starting date of the Hinman – Shea trial from Thursday until May 27 to give the defense an opportunity to appeal several of his rulings.

In addition to his refusal to grant a change of venue, Choate has declined to separate the two murder cases and has rejected motions to quash the grand jury indictment and to suppress alleged admissions and other statements by the defendants.

He also refused Monday to grant a defense motion to dismiss the charges because the grand jury does not include anyone with the same life-style as the Manson family and he denied Grogan’s request to fire his court-appointed lawyer, Charles Weedman.

BY RON EINSTOSS