The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-12-17 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

THE LATE MURDER NEAR WALSALL,  THE INQUEST AND COMMITTAL OF THE ACCUSED. On Monday an inquest was held at the Red Lion Inn, \Vednesbury, before Mr. J. Smith, the coroner for that district of the county of Stafford, upon the body of Mr. Matthew Adams, who was murdered at his house at Delvesgreen, on the morning of Wednesday, the first of the present month. The circumstances of the case and the great secrecy which had been observed by the police and authorities since the commission of the murder, occasioned in the extreme part of the southern division of Staffordshire, an extraordinary degree of interest.  Delves-green, the site of this shocking crime, is, considering the population of the mining districts of Staffordshire, a retired neighbourhood—almost a forsaken one—about a mile and a quarter distant from Walsall, on an old and almost untrodden road between that town and West Bromwich old church.  Mr. Matthew Adams, the deceased, was a man of advanced age, and had reared a very respectable family, but was generally thought to live penuriously, if not miserly. His son, who, from the subsequent report, gave evidence upon the coroner's inquiry, is a person residing in the neighbourhood, of highly respectable character, and is the father of a most estimable family. It appears to have been generally understood in the vicinity of Delves-green that the late Mr. Adams was always in the possession of ready cash, and there is not the slightest doubt but that this idea led to the murderous assault to which he fell a victim.  It would seem from the evidence that, as soon as the day after the murder was committed, suspicion fell upon one individual, and be was apprehended by Mr. Raymond, the superintendant of the Walsall police. Other men were also taken into custody, but in consequence of it being supposed that a numerous gang of desperate characters were also implicated in the affair, it was deemed advisable to adjourn the first inquest, held nine days ago, and to maintain the greatest secrecy until further evidence was obtained. The evidence was fully secured by the confession of a man named Thomas Boswell on Friday night last, and on Monday he and four other men named Joseph arid James Wilkes (brothers,) George and John Giles (also brothers,) were brought in custody before the coroner's jury. The prisoners are all residents of IValsall, but the Wilkeses are of recent importation,. and comparatively strangers. During the investigation all the prisoners, with the exception of Boswell, exhibited the utmost indifference, and on more than one occasion were reproved for their indecent levity. The evidence was conclusive, and the jury returned the following verdict :—" Wilful murder against Joseph Wilkes, as principal, and wilful murder against James Wilkes, Thomas Boswell, and George Giles, as principals in the second degree."  The prisoners were committed to take their trials at the next Stafford Assizes.  ROYAL AUTOpRAPII.—The following is a copy of an autograph letter, now in our possession, from the King of Calabar. It is addressed to the captains of some vessels upon the coast, by whom his black majesty had been taught to write :—" Captain Brassy and all Gentlemen,—Sir, I shall be very glad to see you Come and Dine with me in one • Clock. lam your Friend, Duke Ephraim King Calabar." —Brighton Gazette.  A