A ROMANTIC TRAGEDY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 268, 3 April 1911, Page 3

A ROMANTIC TRAGEDY

THE- MELBOURNE ACQUITTAL. The acquittal of 'Percy Fvnch, 21 years of age, on the charge of murder of Archibald Steane, has all the elements of tha romance of a knight of old. On New Year's morning, early, the body of Steane was found in the Edinburgh Gardens, about a quarter of a mile out of bis way home, dead. On the night of the 2nd inst. Percy Fvnch, accompanied by bis father, went to the Detective Oilice, and admitted that lie had struck a young man in the Edinburgh Gardens on the Sunday morning, in defence of one of two girls who hud accompanied him, and whom the stranger had attempted to assault. The girls, Annie Russell and Annie Mercer, together with Fynch, identified the limlv of Steane as that of the man whom tliev had met in the gardens. Fynch stated that Steane had met 'him earlier in the morning at the corner of and Queen's Parade, and asked liim for a cigarette, and had remarked upon his "greediness" in taking the two girls home, and had otl'ered to take Mercer home himself. Fynch gave li:r.i I lie eigiirette, and Steane put his a:m round Kusscll. "Perhaps lam intruding!!" said Steane. and Fynch replied that he \va- not. and Steane then left llii in and went up Groom-street towards the Gardens. A few minutes later I'yneh end I lie two girls had walked into the Gardens, anil Steane had suddenly appeared, and had seized Ru-scll and alt.empt.ed to ;i>sault her. A light ensued between the I wo young men. and Steane had produced the toy pistol, which Fynch wrested from him and drove into his face. Steane then ran away. The girls, when seen by the detectives, corroborated Fvnch's statement with much exactitude of detail.