Evening star., 1923-03-20
MAY LINK THREE !.
i PRIEST MYSTERIES /: (
Staying of California Cath
ole May Be Connected With
l. Maniac's Vendetta. :,
CONVICT DENIES GUILT
New Theory May Bring Freedom
to Prisoner Convicted on Cir
cumstantial Evidence.
CONVICT DENIES GUILT
Special Disnatch 10 The Star.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calf. March 20.
"A mentally deficient man, today
serving life sentence for the mur-
der of a Catholic priest, yet may
secure his freedom because Of two
widely separated crimes against
Glergymen.
Similarity in the disappearance
and supposed murder of Father John
A. Viniak of Virden. ILL.,, and the
staying last October OF Father
Arthur Belknap at Lead, S. D., to-
gether with the abduction and mur-
der at Colma, Calf. two years ago
of Father Patrick Heslin has caused
police 20 investigate the theory that
the three are linked. Suggestions
of death vendetta, have been
made and are being probed.
Two Lured Away.
Information received by the San
Francisco police indicate a startling
parallel In at least two of the mys-
teries. Father Viniak, like Father
to administer the last rites to the
dying. Like Father Viniak, the
Colma priest left home in his auto
mobile never to return. And Father
by a stranger.
mysterious Andrew orlando
mas been mentioned in the case Of
inc disappearance of Father Viniak
and the murder Of Father Belknap.
he is described as small man, pos
slbiy an Italian, and the fact that
originally such an individual was
sought for. following the murder of
rather Heslin. has caused the local
authorities to seek all possible in
formation in the case.
Body Found on Cliff.
Father Heslin was we'll beloved
ana. SO far as was known, had no
enemies. He was a poor, although
worthy, parish priest and no motive,
either OF revenge or blackmail, ever
was established for his Staying. He
was missing for many days, as has
been Father Viniak. before his body
was discovered in shallow grave
dug on the shelf of cliff which
1ronts the ocean OF Salada Beach in
San Mateo county.
William A. Hightower, mentally
weak and forty-four years old who
discovered the grave and led news
papermen and deputy sheriffs to 1t.
was later convicted on purely cir
cumstantial evidence of the murder.
he now is serving a life sentence al
though there are many including DO
nee themselves, who have always had
and still maintain doubt that he is
guilty.
Sticks by Story.
Hightower told the same story
from the outset and he has stuck 70
~ under the most severe cross Dues
tioninE. He insisted that he first
learned of the murder from a woman
where the grave was located by a
chance male acquaintance The fact
mat HiShtower WAS unable to locate
this woman after he was arrested
hn
proved the most telling link in the
chain of evidence on which he was
convicted.
Great emphasis is today being
placed on the fact that before he led
the officials to the grave Hightower
described the slayer from the wom-
ans story as having been a short,
dark man, an Italian" He also said
me woman had informed him that
the killing was in no way due TO
blackmail or revenge. but simply to
a maniacal hatred of all priests by
the short. dark man
The arrest of Hightower followed
visit he made to the home of Arch
bishop Edward ]. Hanna, where he
demanded an audience to acquaint
the prelate with his information. To-
day from his cell in San Quentin he
reiterated the truth of his original
story.
stu Believes in Innocence.
e. J. EmmonS. an attorney of
bakersfield, who defended Hightower,
has commenced an investigation
which he believes will link the dis
appearance of Father Viniak with
the murders of Father Belknap and
Hesiin. He is very hopeful that he
will be able to show that the small,
dark man" described by Hightower
was, in reality, the Individual who
brutally murdered the dead prtes.
and who decoyed Father Niniak from
his home on a fanciful mission that
he vas needed to administer the last
rites of the church to a phantom per-
Sonage.
"Hightower is a half-wit." said En-
mons today. HE was made to serve
the laws overZealous demand for
victim. I all along have contended
that he is absolutely innocent of the
murder of Father Heslin. Now the
similarity in the slayings of Father
HeSlin and Father Belknap, and the
disappearance and supposed murder
of Father Viniak may prove, upon
careful investigation very probably,
that small, dark man." with a
naniacal vendetta against Catholic
priests. was responsible for all three
crimes.
Copyright, 1871