The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-08-31
Accused
of Staying Priest,
Will Plead Sept. 6


sign peculiar to those found empty
NJ the beach.
Hightower then set up the tent and
painted on II the word "Tubercuio.
sis" This tent was put up on the
sand. Blood splitting on sand would
leave no trace.
HiRhtower called NJ the parish
house In coima. While II Ii thought
the prosecution does not attach much
significance to tho Identification Of
HiEhtower ms the man who called for
Father Reslin on the night the priest
disappeared. by Marie Wendell. the
priests housekeeper, Il believes High.
tower, nevertheless. was the man.
and Miss wendeli's first description
OF 'dark.complexoned foreigner
was erroneous,
Hightower rented an auto at 9
o'clock on the night OF Aug. .. when
Father He~iip disappeared. and did
not return II 70 Golden Gate ave.
garage until after / O'Clock the fol.
lowing morning.
Doris Shirley. with whom High.
tower says he rode TO San Jose on
that night. has rcpudiated his aiibi.
and Hightower now admits she told
the truth and that he drove the car
about the country alone, but viii
not say where.
DROVE PRIEST
TO SAND DUNES?
Hightowcr drove the priest 10 the
sand dunes and then led him 10 the
beach. He flashed light on the
tuberculosis" sign ~ the two ap-
preached the tent. and the priest was
led 70 believe that the dying man
was in the tent.
Thus the priest stepped first into
the tent with fiiwhtower directly be.
hind him. The prosecution believes
Hightower struck the priest in the
back of the head a. he entered the
tent. intending TO fell and stun him
and then bind him.
IL was Hlgbtower's plan. the pro.
SECRETION holds. 70 bind and gag the
priest and then to 70 Into town and
mail = ransome letter. already type.
written. However. the priest, IN the
prosecutions view. did not fall at
the first blow. but instead kept his
feet and showed signs OF resistance.
Tho old. the priest was = man Of
powerful build. Hightower then hit
the priest three more times. The
autopsy showed that the priests
skull was cayed In four times. The
first ransom letter, the handwriting
OF part OF II. and the spelling Of most
OF II Identified as similar to High.
towers typewritinR In jail. spe.
officially stated that tho writer was
forced 10 hit the priest four times.
Hightower. after Telling the priest.
hurried away and mailed the ran.
som letter. adding that the person
bringing the ransom money Of 50. 500
have a physician near.
When Ifighsower returned 10 the
beach. he found the priest dead or
dying.
lie then fired shcts from a .<S-cal
iber revolver and buried him in Z
shallow grave. fastening back 70
town with tho tent that night. but
leaving the toni stakes on the scene
Of the crime. The tent he put in his
room. where its was later found by
tho police.
Hightower was known 10 have ped.
died u .<S-caiiber gun some time
later.
The prosecution believes ne intend.
ed to collect the ransom money any
way.
SAYS ME PLANNED
BEACH RESORT
Doris Shirley had told the prose.
cusion that Hlghtcwer talked OF
buying the saiada beach ~castic" and
fitting Il up for $500" In this he
planned to install young girls from
Los Angeles and run biackmasi re.
sort. maintaining Doris Shirley In
luxury and comfort.
Hightower's story. on the other
hand. n to the effect that he met 4
woman named Dolly Mason in Salt
Lake City. and that he brought her
from that city to san Francisco. She
told MN. he says. that she met .
Greek. who brandished q gun and
told Of = valuable cache guarded by .
man baking fiapjacks-
The gun was q As.
Hightower says Dolly Mason told
him tho Greek said that she had
cause 10 fear II. because II had killed
. man.
lie refuses 10 give any further de.
Tense. on the ground that he WAS i'm.
pIicated In "a different crime" and
his pals In II are now too far away
to be caught"