Imperial Valley press., 1921-08-29
HIGH TO WEIR
B A OK | n
N A 7 T D
JAIL
Accused Murderer of COlma
Priest to Be Defended by
Bakersfield Law Firm. -
Trial Begins Soon.

bAhENoF lElLD Cdl. Aug. AJ-L
i. lemons local attorney today an
nOunced that his firm was undertaking
the task Of defending William High
tower charged at Redwood City with
the murder of Reverand Patrick Hes
lin, Catholic Priest.
lemons is a friend of Hightowel
and has represented him in civil ac-
tion.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. ga writ
of Habas Corpus which was granted
last week by the District Court of APP
paels in behalf of William Hightower
accused of the murder of Father Pat
rick E. Heslin, Colma Priest, was
dissolved by the court today. Hightow-
er was ordered back to the San Mateo
county Jail at Redwood City.
REDWOOD CITY, Cal. Aug. %
William A. lIightOwer, itinerant bak-
er and casual laborer, charged with
the murder cf the Rev, Patrick f..
Hesln, Colma, Cal. Catholic priest,
protested his innocence from the first
and maintained that he would be will
ing to have full jury of priests sit
in judgement on him. The killing of
Father Heslin provided one of the
greatest murder mysteries in Califor-
MIA.
Days Of grilling and accumulation
of much evidence against Hightower
failed to break him down. SO great
was the strain to which he was sug-
jected that he was unable to eat TIE
first few days of the examination and
lost many pounds in weight.
Father Heslin was called from his
home at Colma, suburb of Sar Fran
cisco, about nine o'clock the night of
Tuesday, August 2, by n,uffled
stranger who said he wanted the priest
to administer the last sacrament tC.
dying man. The two rode away in a
small automobile.
The following morning Miss Marie
Wendal, the priests housekeeper, no
titled the police of the priests fail
ure to return home, and a search was
begun that attracted attention of the
entire country. Miss Wendell later
identified Hightower as the man who
had called for Father Heslin.
After a few days the searchers an
nounced that they were "up against 4
stone wall". The first tangible clue
came with the receipt of a typewrn- =
ten letter by Right Rev. Edward j.
Hanna, archbishop of the Catholic ar
chdiocese of San Francisco, demand
ing ransom of $4,000 for Father
Heslin, and saying that the priest
would be killed if the money was not
paid. The letter was received the
day father Heslin disappeared.
Rewards totalling $4,000 were Of
fered for the safe return of Father
Heslin, or the recovery of his body,
and these rewards were cited by the
police as one of the reasons for the
appearance of Hightower. In the
early evening of Wednesday, August
1C, he called at the home of Arch
bishop Hanna to give information
concerning the location of Father Hes
Inns body. The archbishop could not
be seen, and Hightower then gave
his information to newspaperman.
Guided by Hightower, police au-
thorities of San Francisco and San
Mateo counties started late that
night for Salana Beach, short dis
tance southwest of Colma. where High
tower said that woman companion
Nhom he knew as Dolly Mason ha6
told him that drunken foreigner
Mad furnished her with the informa.
ton that led to the discovery of the
grave. q
Hightower told the party that he
had investigated few days on his
own account after hearing the womans