A Final Reckoning

crowded, for the series of burglaries had caused some excitement; and the news that the house of Mr. Ellison had been

cking his door, and had not been awakened. He found that a box which stood on the dressing table, containing some valuable jewelry, was gone; that his watch and that of Mrs. Ellison had been t

vered that the lower premises had been broken into, the plate chest in

he value of the article

pounds; the silver plate might have been worth three hundred more; the wa

k. It was not the custom to put up shutters. The pantry door, which was a strong one, had been cut with a saw round the lock. The

h orders to admit no one; and a man on horseback was sent off to Lewes, to the chief constable

r had been sawn through, and the chest forced open, seemed to show that it was the work of practised hands. On examining closely the butler's pantry, he found a powerful screwdriver and a heavy chisel. These cor

he showed them to Mrs. Ellison. On

be Reuben Whitney, t

s. He returned there at once and, going to Mr. Penfold, found the prisoner was absent from work. Th

the prisoner had made to him. The magistrates con

as sitting on a chair placed at the upper end of the court, "we are

taken her stand in the box, "how it was you at

having poisoned a watchdog which had bit him; and as the three dogs about the place had all been poisoned, on the night whe

prisoner. His story, though strange, had been by no means impossible and, if true, would have completely accounted for the finding of

hinking the matter over before coming into court, come to the conclusion that the tools, which he had in a small basket at the time he was attacked, had been foun

dence, Reuben saw that Mr. Ellison looked greatly vexed and annoyed. As before, at the conclusion of the evidence of each wit

istrates cons

er evidence, Mr. Ellison, you said nothing in any way relating to the prisoner; but it

d some seven or eight years ago. The widow, being in reduced circumstances, settled in Tipping. The boy was an intelligent lad and, when the boy employed in my garden left, I gave him the place. He gave every satisfaction. One day he was severely bitte

I have deeply regretted having done so, ever since, and that I consider I acted hastily and wrongly in so doing. Considering his previous good character, I ought not to have assumed his guilt without more positive evidence than I had before me. I may also say that

og, obtained any actual evidence which would show that you were mistaken in your first view, and that your su

usement in court. It was clear that there was a strong difference of opinion between him and his wife on the subject; and that, while the lady h

o that of his return and arrest here, may be true; but so far it is entirely unsupported. On the other hand, we have the evidence of the tools, admitted to belong to him, being found on the scene of the burglary. We have the further important fact that he had been formerly employed upon the place; and had, i

evidence as to character, at

n the matter will be thoroughly sifted. We only have to decide that there is prima

ight's were strongly in his favour-he was very popular among his fellows-and they pointed out that several hands must have been concerned in the business, that he was never seen about in public houses of an evening, or was likely

e himself upon the employer who turned him off. As to Mr. Ellison's declaration of his subsequent opinion that he acted hastily, little weight was attached to it. Everyone knew Squire Ellison was a kind-hearted man, and as

had, on the drive home, had the most serious quarrel which had ever ta

ut I should know in my heart that he had spoken truly. For some reason or other you took a prejudice against that boy, and you n

the drive had been passed in silence. Upon their return home the

irely on the subject. She believes that Reuben Whitney is guilty. I am absolut

Kate Ellison went do

at the door, "could you come out for two or th

lace yesterday, at Lewes?"

constable last night, and he told

n Whitney is innocen

istence. For anyone who knows him to have a doubt is absolutely a

w did he account for his

ated the account Reub

h as to his general conduct and to the fact that he had, as he said, p

get off, Mr. Shrewsbur

nfirm it. It is just the sort of story, they will say, that he would naturally get up to account for his absence, and for the tools being found. Of course, if the jury knew him as well as I do the result would be certain; but I have been trying to look at the facts as if he

. Mrs. Whitney had engaged a lawyer in the town to defend her son and, to the surpri

herefore I authorize you to spend any sum that may be necessary in getting up his defence; and I wish you to instruct a counsel to a

asked the way to Lewes. In his story he says he didn't know the name of the village but, as he was told it was abou

ng. He is a great friend of the lad's, and a very intelligent fellow. He may b

before the trial, Kate Ellison stopped before the blacksmith shop in the vill

ou have been summoned on t

hat they should have picked upon me. Still, I have never been called before, so I suppose I mustn't grumble; but it

uben Whitney is going to be tr

ss; so t

you think abo

ss. Most folks says as how he must have done it

innocent. I am sure he is, and papa is quite sure, too; and he will be terribly put out if he is found gu

an't be no doubt about it, for who should know better than squire; and I am sure I wouldn't go to put him about

istrate himself. You mustn't mention to anyone that I have spoken to you about it-not to anyone, Jacob, not even to your wife-but

ou have spoken to me aboot it. It be quite enough for I to know as the squire kno

ver to see him; and as he was the bearer of a letter from Mr. Elli

he second time accused of a crime of which I am innocent; and from which, indeed, in the present case I am a sufferer; a

chief constable; but tell it me again, with every detail you can think of.

told him all that happened," Reuben said; "

th every detail that he could think of; speaking s

stility to the squire. I shall be able partly to dispose of that, for I can swear that you have frequently spoken to me of the squire in tones of respect and liking; and that, although you regretted the manner in which you left his service, you felt no ill will against him on account of it

hree days, and will hunt up the

the public house would help me much. It will simply prove that I passed through there in the morning; but will not show, in

t you looked pale and exhaus

ben said, "if I had gone through such a night'

ds will do all in their power for you. I shall go now and have a chat with

hing seems so extraordinary that I can't quite realize that I am in danger of being sent to Botany Bay. The worst of it is that, even if I am acquitted, lo

theory, of course, is that you quarrelled with the others over the division of the spoil; and got that knock on the head, which is a very severe one. I went down yesterday with Jones, to see the spot where you said you were assaulted. There were marks where the horse stopped

why should they have taken the tro

complice? In both cases the answer is the same-they did it to prevent your giving the alarm, until they had got far away from the scene. They didn't like to murder

and I own, myself, that that old dog business is very much aga

ided. The evidence for the prosecution was, to a great extent, similar to that given at the inquiry before the magistrates. Unfortunately for Reuben, the judge was notoriously a severe one; and his bias, from the first, appeared to be against

e counsel for the prosecution asked blandly

wer satisfactorily; and was a particularly irritating one

that, on reflection, the boy's previous character and antec

our own goodness of heart, Mr. Ellison, in thus laying aside a

tly. "I consider that in the first instance I acted hastily a

unsel said, "that you will not per

oss-examine, "for indeed your evidence is, as I think the jury will agree, altogether in favour of

, it would be very seldom that he would even enter the kitchen, except to bring in vegetables. Certainly he woul

g any knowledge as to the internal arrangements of your hous

er," Mr. Ell

r opinion, as to the innocence of the prisoner in that matter, is not

hanged my opinion on the matter very

I think I may say?

to another, that he believed the dog was poisoned by another lad in the village who owed him a grudge, and who has since

bery was a mere repetition of that given by the squire.

aid. "It is a matter which has been productive of muc

"You are here to answer any question which may

sel continued, "but I really must do so. You took

ns he had for suspecting the boy. I thought those reasons

ng some sort of animus, he regarded it as altogether contemptible. When a man meant to commit a burglary in a house, he did so in order to obtain possession of the goods, and not from any spite against the owner. Had this young fellow felt any malice, for this ridiculous charge on which he had been dismissed, he would not have allied himself wit

affect his moral character. No boy likes having a piece taken out of his calf by a savage dog, and there would have been nothing so very dreadful had he revenged himself. It was probable that, even among the jury, there was one or m

nds; on the double ground that, in the first place, the prisoner at the bar did not poison the

shed such malice against his employer, for dismissing him mistakenly, that he has become the consort of thieves and burglars, has stained his hands in crime, and rendered himself liable to transportation, for the purpose merely of spiting th

ee who it was and, some distance down, he found a horse and cart standing and, listening to the conversation of two men who were sitting under the hedge, he heard enough to inform him that a burglary was intended upon the house of Mr. Ellison. He was about to make off to give the alarm, when he was suddenly attacked by some men who had come up behind, and was felled

ged to come over to see him, and bring his tools. He will also tell you that, two days after the prisoner's arrest, he went with Jones, the village constable, and found the marks where the horse and trap had stood; while, just inside the field, the grass was trampled with feet; and in the bot

ry of these tools, a discovery which he at once explained. Of other evidence, there is not one jot or tittle. No attempt has been made to prove that the prisoner was in the habit of consorting with bad characters; no attempt has been made to show any connection, whatever, between him and the men who came in a horse and trap across the hills, for the p

ith them, and well acquainted with their ways and haunts, he could have given information which would have led to their early arrest. He could well have done this, for the crown would have made no difficulty, whatever, in promising a lad like this a free p

devoted no inconsiderable portion of his leisure time to improve his education, and enable him to recover the position occupied by his father, who was a much-respected miller in this neighbourhood. I shall leave the case i