Evening star., 1921-08-11
MURDEREDPR|EST
IS FOUND BURIED
Had Been Missing From Par
ish in California for
Over Week.
POLICE.H HOLD DISCOVERER
Man Declares Woman Had Told
Him of Deed-Ransom Had
Been Demanded.
POLICE HOLD DISCOvERER
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press. 5al-.,-s ,
SAN FRANCISCO, August 1.-THE
body of Father Patrick E., ,Hssftu,
missing Colma Catholic priest. who
disappeared from his parfsh. Holy
Angels Catholic Church. the night OF
August 2. was found buried at the
bottom of a sand cliff near salada
beach. on the Pacific ocean. about
tMe enty miles south of San Francnco.
Father Heslin had been murdered
and there was a bullet hole through
his heart and through the head, the
latter shot having torn away part OF
the skull. The body was exhumed al
II o'clock last night by a party, con
sisting Of Chief of Police Daniel
OBrien of San Francisco. Constable
S. A. Landini of Colma, four news
paper men and William A. Hightower
discoversr of the grave.
Discoverer Held.
The party left San Francisco late
last night, acting on a tip given by
Hightower that he had discovered the
grave. and the body was exhumed by
the light of a lantern.
Hightowever. after his clue had proved
successful. was held by the police pend
ing further investigation.
The body was. buried in a cramped
position, in trench beneath an over
hanging wall. 1t lay parallel to the
wall and against 1t and was covered
with two feet of loose sand.
Hightower. according to the police,
said he acted upon clue given him
by a Dolly Mason, whom he had pre-
viously known in Salt Lake City This
woman. he said, told him last Sun
day that she had met a man who ap-
peared to be foreigner. on Friday
fcxh nd rhn nm Htv,rr l-k@
Gated had made broken revelations to
her. Police are searching for Dolly
Mason. The foreigner. Dolly Mason
told Hightower. had shown her a pis-
tol, and when she pretended to shrink
from it in fear, he said: -.
You do right to be afraid of that
gun. 1t 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 flapjacks."
son told Hightower. expressed hatred
for the Catholic Church.
Makes Investigation.
Hightower. acting on the ipforma-
said, conducted personal investiga-
tion. and, being somewhat familiar
with the Salada beach vicinity, had
little difficulty in locating a sign
board picturing man frying flap
jacks.
finding a bit of black rag and later
a .45-caliber revolver cartridge He
sa id he then burrowed into the newly
dug sand by the face of the cliff and
found bloodstaihed piece of gunny
sack: That was enough for one
day" Hightower told the police. Il
wanted to get away from there
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" resolved to go to the residence
of Archbishop Edward J. Hanna of
San Francisco and tell the authori-
ties of the church his story. The
archbishop was in conference at the
time and Hightower told his story
to a newspaper reporter, who inn
mediately took the man to his news
paper office. where police officials were
called. The mans story was then
way to the grave of Father Heslin.
Ransom Demanded.
Chief of Police O'Brien and Con-
stable Landini found in the pockets
of the dead priest a watch. The
hands had stopped at eight minutes
before 10 O'Clock. Other. articles
found on the body included a red
morocco case containing the bread
and wine Of the Blessed Sacrament.
Last August 8. 2 week ago last
night. Archbishop Hanna received an
anonymous letter demanding $500 in
small bills for the safe return OF
Father Heslin. and, yesterday the
archbishop received another letter
demanding $4,000 ransom 4
Father Heslin was last seen alive
about 3 o'clock Tuesday evening, Au-
gust 2. when a stranger drove up
to the parochial residence at Colma
in an automobile. Under the pre-
tense that he wanted the priest to
relative he succeeded ,ip gettine