“ Colonel ” Lynch’s Release.

Manawatu Herald, 9 April 1904, Page 3

“ Colonel ” Lynch’s Release.

The circumstances in which the King came to interest himself on behalf of “ Colonel ” Lynch makes quite a roundabout little story, writes a London correspondent to a contemporary. One of the first movers in the affair was, it appears; Mr Michael Davitt. When in America last year he gave some details of it personally to President Roosevelt, who, when Governor of the New York State, met Lynch at Albany, and on one occasion, it is ■aid, entertained him. W bile greatly interested in the case, Mr Roosevelt said he could not intervene without laying himself open to the risk of being snubbed. Later on, after returning to England, Mr Davitt had a talk about the matter with Sir Thomas Lipton, mentioning to him what President Roosevelt, had said, and Sir Thomas in turn spoke to the King. His Majesty had, of course, previously known the facts, and in any case would probably have asked for Lynch’s release before making his next visit to Ireland. The representations made to him seem, however, to have had the effect of deciding him to communicate his wishes to the Home Office at once, and the prisoner was accordingly released. “It was entirely the King’s own doing,” Sir Thomas Lipton has explained. “I merely acted as a sort of messenger for Mr Davitt, who had worked incessantly on behalf of Lynch, and the release was entirely due to his Majesty s interest in the case.” A report from France slates that Lynch intends shortly to resume his journalistic work, and that ho will settle permanently at Rouen.