The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1889-10-18
miscellaneous.
A Silent Threat.

l made up my mind twenty-five years ago
that Private Gray would some time kill Capt
Ross.
When the war ended the two men drifted
apart but my conviction remained mistaken
l knew as well as knew anything that they
would come together at the proper time.
The assassination of Capt. Ross last week
in a western town did not surprise me in the
least. 1t was just what l had looked for
just what he had expected. A detailed &C.
count of the murder apparently throws no
light upon it. The newspapers merely state
that an unknown person fired at the captain
through the window of his office at night and
made his escape.
The inquest brought out no clew. 1t was
in evidence that a sranger-a stout, squarely
built man-had been seen in the village that
afternoon, and that he had not been vis-
Bile after the killing. That was ALL There was
nothing to connect the stranger with the
murder.
And yet when l read this brief item at
distance of thousand miles from the scene
OF the tragedy, it was all very plain to me.
The newspaper dropped from my hand and
my thoughts travelled backward to the last
year OF the war.
Private Gray first attracted my attention
under very peculiar circumstances. When
| saw him he was in disgrace, and was suffer
ing the penalty.
Between two posts barrel was nailed in
a slanting position. it had no head, and no
bottom-nothing but the sides. Private Gray,
closely guarded by q soldier, was hard at work
shoveling sand into this bottomless barrel.
1t was very hot day, and it was very un-
satisfactory work. AS fast as the sand was
shoveled in it ran out, and the job was ap-
parenlly endless
People stopped to look at the prisoner, and
/ Joined the crowd. 1t struck me then
that Private Gray was dangerous looking
man. He was short and stout, with sqnare
body, square shoulders a square head and O
square face, with bulldog jaws.
He did not shirk his disagreeable work. He
went on steadily, without looking either to
the right or to The left. - '+-
Finally turned away and walked off. My
friend, Capt Ross, followed me.
What do you think of it :" the captain
asked
"Who is he, and what is it about 2" in
quired.
private Gray of my company-he was i'm
pertinent and l had him punished" was the
reply.
"He has sullen, determined looking face"
| said.
"Yes," responded the captain, "he will
bear watching"
Later in the day the soldier was released.
/ sat talking with Ross and a group of officers
in front OF their quarters when Gray came
in sight.
The man did not stop, but he slackened
his pace and looked straight at the captain.
A dead silence fell upon the group That
square, rtsolute face, with its deep set, blaz-
ing eyes, fascinated us.
1t was only second or two, but the look
that Gray darted at the captain was full of
deadly meaning.
"Ahem That was Gray, wasn't it ?" said a
young lieutenant
Ross did not answer. His face was very
and went 10 his room.
Did you notice that fellows look ?" said an
officer
YES" replied one of the party at was
more than look-it was silent threat, and
there was murder in il
The next day l spoke to Ross about
Private Gray.
"Oh, that's all right" he answered, with
an air of relief II have had him transferred
detailed to work in the quartermaster's de-
partmeDt in Mobile"
did not meet the captain again for years.
He talked very freely about old times, and
then his lace Cl0nutu.
DO you remember Private Gray" he
said
what has he turned up againp" quer-
ried
Several times" replied the captain "On
three different occasions be has met me in out
of the way places where he was evidently
waiting for me. Each time the sudden APP
pearance of other persons prevented him from
making any demonstration. He did not even
appear to recognize me, but quietly passed
on.
What do you think ?'
Il think" said the captain, that he
means to kill me, and think that he will do
it some day.
We turned our conversation to more pleas
ant matters, but l did not forget what my
friend had said.
A long time after our meeting Ross wrote
business letter to me, and in postscript
mentioned the fact he had been shot at one
dark night while he was going home from his
office. He had learned that a man resemb-
ling Gray had been seen in the town that day,
but nothing further could be ascertained.
| thought over the captains letter good
deal. 1t was true that Gray had been punish
ed by the captains orders, and that he look
ed strangely afterwards, but that was in war
times The man had uttered no threat, 80
far as anybody knew.
1t struck me as thought about it that Ross
was in bad fix. If Gray should lay his plans
we'll and secretly shoot him, sometime, no
jury would convict him on such evidence as
we had. The old war time episode would 60
for nothing.
With this outline of the inside history of
the case, the reader will understand why the
assassination of Capt. Ross did not surprise
| me.
Still, do not expect everybody to jump to
my conclusion that'Private Gray was the as
sassin. Possibly would have some doubt of
it myself If had not seen that deadly look
when Gray passed by the captain just after
he had been released from his disgraceful
punishment.
The newspaper statement concerning the
Short squarely built stranger who was seen
in the town where Ross lived just before the
tragedy is enough for me. l know that the
stranger was Gray, and know that he killed
the captain.
And yet all of this is too light and airy to
rise to the dignity of even circumstantial
evidence. 1t would not justify an arrest, to
say nothing of an indictment.
But never mind about the evdence-from
legal standpoint know that Private Gray
l,;ll nA