James Knight, 23, chimney sweeper and Charles Knight, 30, sailor, were charged with breaking into the dwelling of Joseph Northern at Burton Latimer on 22nd of March, and stealing therefrom 5lbs of pork - Mr Palmer was for the prosecution: The prisoners were undefended. - The prosecutor is a farmer and butcher, occupying a cottage on the outside of Burton Latimer. He went out and locked the doors of his cottage on Sunday 22nd March. There was a lean-to adjoining the house, which was used as a dairy, and in this place was left a piece of pork about 5 lbs in weight. When the prosecutor came back that evening someone had unfastened the dairy window, and the pork had been taken away.
The same day the two prisoners had been seen coming from the direction of the house, one of them having been seen to go to the front door and knock, and afterwards go towards the back door. The men were apprehended the same evening by Inspector James Osbourne who found pork in the soot bag which the prisoners had with them. A hammer and scraper was also found upon them, the hammer head being very rusty. The prisoner Charles Knight said James had bought the pork.
The next morning Inspector Osbourne went to Burton Latimer, and found the lead work disturbed in several of the panes in the dairy window, and there were also marks of iron rust around the holes from which the nails had been drawn out. There were also marks on the whitewashed wall, apparently made from soot - James Knight said he swept two chimneys for a lady, who gave him the pork for doing it. He did not think the proscecutor could swear to the pork, for he supposed other people had meat as young and poor as his - Charles Knight said he only landed from Austrailia on 18th of last month, and did not know where the proscecutors house was. It was the first time he had ever been to this country - A verdict of not guilty was returned. The Chairman telling them they had had a narrow escape and a merciful jury, for if they had been found guilty they would have been sentenced to at least 13 months' imprisonment, and if they had been previously convicted, to penal servitude.
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