Evening star., 1937-05-22
MACKN|GHT GIRL
TELLS OF THREAT
Says Ex-SWeetheart Prom.
ised to "Ki|I Her, Too," if
She Aired Murder.
~ the Associated Press.

She Aired Murder.
BY the Associated Press.
JERSEY CITY, N. j., May 22.-Ac-
cusing her co-defendant and eX-sWeet-
heart of the hatchet Staying of her
mother, Gladys MacKnight, IT, testi-
fed at her murder trial today that
the youth threatened to kill her, too,
II she told about it.
She said she suggested telling a
neighbor, Mrs. Elizabeth Feury, what
had happened in the MacKnight home
the night Of July 81, last, and Donald
Wightman told her:
If you do, I'll kill you, too"
Gladys, talking in a calm. low voice.
said she tried repeatedly to get Donald
TO return as they drove along New
Jersey roads in the MacKnight car
after the Staying.
He said he could put me on spot"
she testified.
He said he could tell them I killed
my mother and that when I finally
got out he'd be the only one 1 could
turn to, and I'd have to marry him
because my father wouldn't have
anything to do with me-" she con-
tinued.
Feared What People Would Say.
Another time, she quoted him as
saying, Why are you worried? 1t
isn't your neck" and when I asked
him why he did it, he said, oh, can't
you shut up about that?"
When he finally stopped the car in
side road, said Gladys, Donald said
there was only one reason he didn't
want to go back
He said it was because Of what
caused the attack.
He said people would think he
didn't regard me in the proper light
and show the proper respect.
so we agreed to say that just kiss
ing was the cause of it
The girl frequently stopped to sip
water from glass on the judges
bench. A few times she appeared at
the point of crying, but in general she
was calm and sometimes spoke with
a detached air.
Boy angry at Testimony.
Donald's most frequent expression
was a bitter, sardonic half-smile and
his face was flushed and angry
Gladys was still on the stand un-
der direct examination when Judge
Thomas F. Meaney adjourned court
until Monday.
The girl said she was graphing with
her mother for possession of knife
when Mrs. MacKnight screamed and
collapsed in her arms
Il turned around and saw Donald
standing there with the hatchet in
his hand" she said Wightman shook
his head in denial.
There was blood dripping from it
=" he had struck my mother" she
continued
Il said What did you do that for?'
He said I thought she was trying to
kill you
Weeps at Girls Charges.
The boy buried his face in his hands
and wept
Gladys never glanced in his direc-
ton.
Looking alternately at the floor and
ceiling, sometimes with closed eyes,
she told how her mother advanced
with knife when she found Donald
with his arm around me, kissing me
and hugging me and running his
hands over me-"
L turned and saw my mother stand
ing just inside the doorway" she re-
lated, with black-handled knife
in her hand.
She seemed very angry She ap-
peared almost wild. Her eyes were
going from one to the other of us
and her face was very red
She was trying to speak, but didn't
seem to be able to get anything out.
] thought she was trying to stab
Donald. She took a step
toward him.
I Immediately grappled with her
and tried to take the knife away from
her"
Boy Smiles Bitterly.
Donald, with two court baillfs on
guard behind him, eyed the girl and
smiled bitterly
Gladys took a sip of water.
She seemed about to cry
Il used both hands," she continued
There was quite a struggle I got
the knife away from her but her right
hand was cut.
Mother screamed"
She said some of the blood from the
cut on her mothers hand dripped on
her
Then, she said. her mother ad-
Sanced with a second knife, point up
Gladys closed her eyes and averted
her face, saying Il tried to get that
knife away from her, but was never
able to-
My mother screamed a couple of
times, the last ending in a gasp, and
She sank in my arms"
L thought she had tainted. I
couldn't hold her up any longer" she
went on.
What caused her to fan?" her at
torney asked
don't know said Gladys.
Then I turned around and saw
Donald standing there with tho