Evening star., 1935-11-21
WIDOW OF CUG|NO
ACCUSED OF PLOT
TO KILL MCDONALD.
Ultimate Destiny in Probe
Z of Wilson Staying Is Un-
certain, However.
ARRESTED IN NEW YORK,
RETURNS VOLUNTARILY
Woman Believed Held for Data
on Activities of Several Sus-
& pected in Case.
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Gang guns bl1sed as day broke
on October 20, 1884, left Allen B.
wilson, newspaper route agent,
dead in front of Takoma Park
home OF Edward Mickey" McDon-
aid, gambler.
After long investigation, police
called Staying one OF mistaken
identity" By ripalS seeking to elm
tndte Mcdonald. Tony "The Sting
er" Cugino, Philadelphia gunnldn,
recent suicide, tUaS named as nlur-
derer. Alleged companions uere
Claude Bailey, killed in jail break:
John "Slina" Dunn, Albert S. Sut-
ton, James Cleary.
Although charged with conspiring
to commit murder, the ultimate role
of 23-year- Mrs. Frances Cugino
in the investigation of the mistaken
identity" Staying of Allen B. VIII
son remained uncertain today.
The young woman, widow OF Tony
''The Stinger" Cugino, named as the
"trigger man" in the Wilson case, was
taken into custody in New York yes
terday after police had obtained
warrant for her arrest from United
States Commissioner Needham G.
Turnage.
The warrant charges she consplred
with her husband to murder Edward
mickey" Mcdonald, local gambler,
the intended target of the bullets
that killed Wilson. The warrant also
sets forth two overt acts-that she
received long distance telephone calls
from Cugino in connection with the
killing and that she concealed him
after the crime.
Returned Voluntarily.
Detectives assigned to the Wilson in
vestigation said, however, the warrant
was not served on Mrs. Cugino, who
is being held here at the House OF
Detention, and emphasized that she
came back to Washington voluntarily.
They refused to say whether they in
tend to place a charge against her IN
the future or use her as witness.
It was believed the young woman
was taken into custody primarily in an
effort to secure information from her
concerning the activities of several
men under suspicion in the case. One
of these is a well-known Washington
gambler, who is said to have hired out
of-town gunmen to kill Mcdonald be-
cause the latter was encroaching on
the territory of the first gambler.
The members of the Wilson squad
Lieuts. John Fowler and Floyd Trus-
colt and Sergt. Earl Hartman-talked
to Mrs. Cugino today, but would not
say what information they hoped to
get from her.
Held ON Pistol Charge.
She was taken into custody yes
terday at the Staten Island, N. Y,
Court House, while awaiting arraign-
ment on a charge of violating the
Sullivan law for pistol possession.
The pretty one-time waitress mar
ried Cugino, a notorious killer, shortly
before he committed suicide while
awaiting trial on murder charge.
She reputedly was the sole confldante
of the Philadelphia gangster.
Mrs. Cugino is the second woman
being held in connection with the
case, Marie McKeever having been
arrested several months ago. Both
may be used as grand jury witnesses
by James Pugh, Montgomery County
States attorney.
Wilson was shot to death in Octo-
ber, 1884, while delivering a news
paper to McDonalds home in Takoma
Park, Md.
Mistaken for Gambler.
The gunner hired to kill McDon-
aid had lain in wait all night in the
underbrush across the road from Nc
Donald's home. When Wilson drove
up at daybreak to deliver the paper
they mistook him for the gambler
and opened fire.
After a year of investigation Cugino
was named as the man who fired the
fatal shot. Others being held in con-
nection with the case are Albert S.
Sutton, reputed gambler; John Slim"
Dunn, tri-State gangster: Dewey
jenkins and James Cleary, Philadel-
phia rnobSter.
: Police say they have information a
fifth man-Claude Bailey-was in
yolved in the case. He was killed
while trying to escape from Lorton
Reformatory several months ago.
States Attorney Pugh recently told
reporters he had an "airtight case"
against the men awaiting trial.