THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, February 29, 1996            TAG: 9602290331
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY JOE TAYLOR, ASSOCIATED PRESS 
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS                       LENGTH: Short :   46 lines

2 ABORTION FOES HELD FOR NOT ANSWERING GRAND JURY QUESTIONS THE TWO WOMEN HAD BEEN GRANTED IMMUNITY.

Two anti-abortion activists who Wednesday went before a federal grand jury investigating abortion clinic violence were being held for not answering some questions, an anti-abortion leader said.

The two - Rae Powell and Carol McAdoo - were among four people who were subpoenaed to appear before the panel. Donald Spitz, head of Chesapeake-based Pro-Life Virginia, said Powell and McAdoo were granted immunity but would not answer everything they were asked.

``They answered some questions,'' Spitz said. ``They were taking the Fifth (Amendment) on some questions.''

He said they were taken into custody when they continued to refuse to answer the questions, despite being given immunity from prosecution. ``I pretty well know we can't get them out unless they decide to testify,'' Spitz said. ``If you won't talk, they won't let you out.''

The other two answered questions and left, he said.

Because grand jury proceedings are secret, the questions that the women balked at could not be determined.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas N. Burrows, a Washington-based Justice Department lawyer who came to direct the local investigation, could not be reached. Earlier Wednesday, Burrows declined to comment on the investigation or say how long it might last.

The four subpoenaed activists met briefly for prayer in a downstairs hallway of the federal courthouse before going up to the grand jury room on the second floor. They said their protests outside abortion clinics and other activities have been strictly peaceful.

``We adhere to First Amendment, legal activities,'' said Powell, a Norfolk member of the Life Ministries anti-abortion group.

The local probe apparently stems from a 16-month investigation into whether a national conspiracy exists to target abortion clinics for violence. That probe ended in January with no indictments.

KEYWORDS: ANTI-ABORTION GRAND JURY by CNB