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Show good deal. It was tru that Gray had been punished by tho captain's ordr, and ihut hi had looked very Btrangvly a ft er wards, but all that was in w or tunes. The man had utttred dj throat, so fur as unybodv knew. ll struck me as 1 thought about it that Ross was in a bud iix. If Gray should lay liia plans well and secretly shoot him, sometime, no jury would convict him ou such evidence as we had. The old war time episode would go for nothing. With this outline of the inside history of the case, the reader will underwuuid why the assassination of dipt. Kosa did not surprise ine. SHU, I do not expect everybody to jump to my conclusion that Private Gray was the nii3tn. Possibly 1 would huv some doubt r) feu t it myself if 1 had not seen that deadly look when Ciray passed by the captain just after lie had been released re-leased from his disgraceful punishment The new sniper statement concerning tho short. Miiarely built stranger who was seen in tho town where Koss lived just before the tragedy is enough for me. 1 know that the stranger was Uray, and 1 know that he killed tho captain. Anil yet all ot this in too light autl airy 'to rise to the dignity of even circumstantial circumstan-tial evidence. It would not justify an arrest, to say nothing of nn indictment. Rut never mind about the evidence from n legal standpoint I know tluit Private tiray killed Capt. Ross! Wallae P. Heed in Atlanta Constitution. A SILENT THREAT. I made up my mind twenty-five yeara ago that Private Gray would sometime 1 , kill Cnpt. ItoPi 1 When the war ended tho two men drifted apart, but my conviction remained re-mained unshaken. I knew as well as 1 knew anything that they would come together to-gether at the proper time. The assassination of (.'apt, Ross last week in a western town did not surprise ine in tho least. It was just what I had j looked for just what he had expected. A detailed account of the murder apparently appar-ently throws no light upon it. The newspapers news-papers merely state that an unknown person fired at tho captain through the window of his office at night and made his escape. Tho inquest brought out no clew. It was in evidence that a stranger a stout, squarely built man hud In'en seen in the village that afternoon, and that he had not been visiblo after tho killing. That was all. Thero was nothing to connect con-nect tho stranger with the murder. And yet when I read this brief item at a distance of a thousand miles from the scene of the tragedy, it was all very plain to me. The newspaper dropped from my hand and my thoughts traveled backward to the last year of tho war. I'rivato tJruy tirst attracted my attention atten-tion under very peculiar circumstances. When I saw him ho was in disgrace, and was suffering the penalty. Between two posts a barrel was nailed in a slanting position. It had no head, and no bottom nothing but the Bides. Privato Gray, closely guarded by a soldier, sol-dier, was hard at work shoveling sand into this bottomless barrel. It was a very hot day, and it was very unsatisfactory work. As fast as tho sand was shoveled in it ran out, and the job was apparently endless. People stopped to look at the prisoner, and I joined tho crowd. It struck me then that Private Gray was a dangerous looking man. He was short and stout, with a square body, square shoulders, a square head and a square face, with bulldog bull-dog jaws. lie did not shirk his disagreeable w ork. IIo went on steadily, without looking either to the right or to tho left. Finally I turned away and walked off. My friend, Cupt. Ross, followed me "What do you think of it?' the captain aBked. "Who is he, and what is it about?" I inquired. "Private Gray of my company he was impertinent and I had him punished," was the reply. "He has a sullen, determined looking face,'" I said, i "Yes," responded the captain, "howill bear watching." Later in the day the soldier was released. re-leased. I sut talking with Ross and a group of officers in front of their quarters quar-ters when Gray came in sight. The man did not stop, but ho slackened slack-ened his pace and looked straight at the j captain. i A dead silence fell upon the group. That square, resolute face, with its deep set, blazing eyes, fascinated us. It was only a second or two, but the look that Gray darted at the captain was full of deadly meaning. "Aheml That was Gray, wasn't it?1' said a young lieutenant. Ross did not answer. His face wai cry pale, and, muttering somo excuse, ho rose and went to his room. "Did you notice that fellow's look?" said an officer. "Yes," replied one of tho party; "ii was more than a look it was a silen' threat, and there was murder in it!" The next day I spoke to Ross abort Private Gray. "Oh, that's all right," he answered, with an air of relief, "I havo had him transferred detailed to work in the quartermaster's department in Mobile.' I did not meet tho captain again for years, He talked very freely about old times, and then his face clouded. "Do you remember Private Gray?" he said. "What! has he turned up again?" I queried. Several times," replied the captain. "On three different occasions he lias met me in out of the way places where he was evidently waiting for me. Each time the sudden appearance of other persons per-sons prevented him from making any demonstration. He did not even appear to recognize me, but quietly passed on. "What do you think?" "I thiuk." said the captain, "that he means to kill me, and I think that he will do it some day." We turned our conversation to more pleasant matters, but I did not forget what my friend had said. A long timo after our meeting Ross wrote a business letter to me, and in a postscript mentioned the fact he had j been shot at one dark night whilo he was going home from his office. He had ! learned that a man resembling Gray had , been seen in the town that day, butnoth- ; ing further could be ascertained. f 1 thought over the captain's letter rv |