iscovered that the lower premises had been broken into, the plate
chest in the butler's pantry broken open, and a large quantity of
plate stolen.

"What do you estimate the value of the articles stolen, Mr.
Ellison?"

"The value of my wife's jewels I should put down, roughly, at two
thousand pounds; the silver plate might have been worth three
hundred more; the watches and other articles, so far as I yet miss
them, say another hundred."

The servants proved that they found the kitchen window open, on
going downstairs. It had been opened by the catch being forced
back. 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
butler testified to the plate having been safe, the night before,
and the strong chest in which it was kept having been forced open.

Directly it was discovered, the constable of the village was placed
in charge of the room, with orders to admit no one; and a man on
horseback was sent off to Lewes, to the chief constable. The
village constable gave evidence as to the state of the place, when
he was put in charge.

The constable who had been sent over from Lewes then stepped into
the witness box. He testified to the marks of entry of the thieves,
and said that the manner in which they had gone to work, and in
which the door 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 corresponded to marks in the
lid, and had evidently been used for the purpose of forcing it
open. They had the initials "R W." burnt in the handles. The
inmates of the house all denied any knowledge of these tools.

Mr. Ellison had been present when he showed them to Mrs. Ellison.
On looking at them she said at once:

"R. W. Why, that must be Reuben Whitney, that wicked boy, again."

Upon making inquiries, he found that the man named worked at Mr.
Penfold's, the mill wright at Lewes. He returned there at once and,
going to Mr. Penfold, found the prisoner was absent from work. The
men identified the brand on the tools as that of the prisoner.
Another constable proved the arrest.

The chief constable then read the statement that the prisoner had
made to him. The magistrates conferred together for a few minutes,
in an undertone.

"Mrs. Ellison," the senior of them said, addressing that lady, who
was