Evening star., 1935-10-20
MCDONALD BALKS
At TESTIMONY ON
Staying MOTIVE
Prosecution Hopes to Cllnch
Case With Gamblers
Story.
INTENDED VICTIM MAY
RISK INCRIMINATI0N
State Considers Forcing Him to
Tell of Previous Attempt to
Take His ife.
BY JOHN II. CLINE.

A potential rupture in the com
pleted case" against the slayerS of
Allen B. Wilson was seen last night
In the disclosure that Edward
Mickey Mcdonald, for whom the
bullets that killed Wilson were in
tended, may refuse to testify for the
prosecution.
Mcdonald, who had extensive
gambling interests in Washington.
was not witness to the murder of
Wilson, but investigators believe he
has information which would be
helpful to the prosecution in fixing
O motive for the misguided attempt
to murder him.
A close friend of McDonald's
however, pointed out that if the
murder plot grew out of gambling
activities. any testimony he might
give along this line would make him
liable to a possible prosecution.
May Stand on Rights.
Under these circumstances, it was
said. Mcdonald might decide to fall
back on the constitutional right to
refuse to give testimony tending to
incriminate him.
Evidence gathered by police shows
Mcdonald was asleep when Wilson
was shot down in front of his home,
in Takoma Park, last October %.
The investigation following the shoot
ing. however, revealed that an earlier
attempt to kill Mcdonald was made
by wiring dynamite to the starter of
his automobile.
When the gambler tried to start his
ear the crude bomb exploded, but he
escaped without injury. Police, how
ever. are convinced he knows the
identity OF the men who planted it
and that they are the same ones who
later killed Wilson.
1t was believed that under the law
OF Maryland he might be compelled
to testify concerning this first attempt
on his life Testimony of this nature,
1t was pointed out. could not tend to
incriminate Mcdonald and might go
q long way in establishing the identity
OF the murderers.
May Not Be Needed.
One official closely identified with
the investigation expressed the belief
the killers can be convicted without
McDonald's testimony. but admitted
full disclosure by the gambler would
be helpful at the trial.
Il think we have a good case" he
said, Mcdonald or no Mcdonald
However, a motive is always a hard
thing to prove, and believe he can
help us in this respect if he will
Lieut. Floyd Truscott and Sergt.
Earl Hartman. members of a special
investigating squad assigned exclu-
sively to the Wilson case. were still
out of the city last evening The ma
ture of their mission has been closely
guarded but it is believed the loose
ends" of the case will have been
gathered when they return.
Once the investigation is completed,
1t was pointed out some time will be
required for assembling and studying
the evidence before it can be pre-
eellCco " Tie grand y, WHICH OOeS
not meet in Montgomery County I'M
til November II. 1t was expected this
will take a week or 10 days.
2 Held Incommunicado.
So far as could be learned. for sew
eral days police have not questioned
the suspects under arrest. Presum-
ably they have secured all the in
formation they can from the held men,
Those unoer suspicion are John
(Slim) Dunn, serving a 15-year rob-
berry sentence in Alcatraz; Albert S.
Button. in the District jail as parole
Violator, and Dewey jenkins and Will
liam Cleary, held incommunicado in
police precincts.
Police are also holding several other
men indicted secretly for this purpose.
1t was believed. however the only pur-
pose in holding them is in the hope
OF obtaining additional information.