The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-08-11
Since Disappearance of Fr.
Heslin Two Demands
: Had Been Received For
His Safe Return - A
Strange Story Told BY
William A. Hightower
Who Had Led Officers to
Body

San Francisco. Aug. 1.-THE bod!
of Rev. Patrick Z. Heslin, missing
Catholic priest of Colma, who disap
peared from his parish, Holy Angels
church, the night of Aug. 2, has beer
found buried at the bottom of sanC
cliff near Salaba beach on the Pacific
ocean, about 20 miles south of Sar
Francisco.
Father Heslin had been murdered
and there was a bullet hole through his
heart and through his head, the latter
shot having torn away part OF the
skull. The body was exhumed at II
o'clock last night by party consist
ing of Chief of Police Daniel O'Brien
of San Francisco, Constable S. A. Lam
DIM of Colma, four newspapermen and
William A. Hightower, discoverer of
the grave.
The party left San Francisco late
last night. acting on tip given by
Hightower that he had discovered the
grave, and the body was exhumed by
the light of a lantern. s
Hightower. after his clue had prov
en- successful, was held by the police
for further investigation.
The body was buried in cramped
position, in trench beneath an over
hanging wall 1t lay parallel to the
wall and against it and was covered
with two feet of loose sand.
Mysterious Dolly Mason.
Hightower, according to the police,
said he acted upon a clue given him
by Dolly Mason, whom he had pre-
viously known in Salt Lake City. This
woman, he said, told him last Sunday
that she had met man who appeared
TO be foreigner on Friday night and
who, on becoming intoxicated, had
made broken revelations to her Police
are searching for Dolly Mason. The
foreigner, Dolly Mason told Hightower
had shown her a pistol and when she
pretended to shrink from it in fear,
he said;
"You do right to be afraid of that
gun. II has taken human life"
Dolly Mason then asked where the
man was buried. Hightower said.
He isn't alone" the foreigner is
said to have replied I've a. man
watching him all the time-a man who |
sits and cooks aapiacks.
At times the foreigner, Dolly Mason |
told Hightower, expressed hatred for |
the Catholic church.
Hightower, acting on the informa
toe given him by the woman, he said.
conducted personal Investigation. and
being somewhat familiar with the Sa
lada beach vicinity had little difficulty
in locating a signboard picturing
man frying aapiaeks
He said he then started search, find
ing a bit of black rag and later a A.
calibre revolver cartridge. He said he
then burrowed into the newly dug sand
by the face of the cliff and found
bloodstained piece of gunny sack.
THAT was enough for one day High
tower told the police. II wanted TO
get away from there. I didn't want
To look any further"
Hightower said he'pondered over the
matter for three days and last night
after a further visit to his find" re-
solved to 90 to the residence of Arch
bishop Edward J. Hanna of San Fran
cisco and tell authorities of the church
his story. The archbishop was in
conference at the time and Hightower
told his story to a newspaper reporter,
who Immediately took the man to his
newspaper Office. where police officials
were called. The mans story was then
Hightower leading the
vav TO the grave Of Father Heslin.
Chief of Police o'Brien and Consta-
bic Landini found in the pocket Of the ,
lead priest a watch. The hands had /
stopped at eight minutes before l0i Z
D'clock. Other articles found on the
body included a red morocco case CON
aiming the sacred host
Demands for Money Received.
Last Aug ,. week ago last night.
Archbishop Hanna received an anony-
nous letter demanding 50 500 in small :
iills for the safe return Of Father s
ieslin and yesterday the archbishop O
cceived another letter demanding SIS :
30 ransom. IL
Father Heslin was last seen alive
bout 2 O'Clock Tuesday evening. Aug. b
. when a stranger drove up 10 the q
larochial residence at Colma in an au-
omobils. Under the pretense that he
Tanted the priest to administer the 9,
at rites Of the church 10 = diving :
slstive he had Father HesIin acoom- "
ary him 8,