The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-08-02


 not be surprised if the next time @ when in Paris you hail a taxi l&k&xStJ cab the driver thereof proves u De q tall handsome and essentially distinguished looking, grey-haired man whose conversation may disclose the fact that he is a member of the British House of Commons, and who may possibly tell you how Roosevelt impressed him the last time he was entertained by the eX- President or how he felt while under fire in South Africa, or what mayhap, were his feelings when he stood in the d.,ciS of the Kings bench court in Lon don and heard a famous British judge solemnly sentencing him to be hanged by the neck until he was dead, and meanwhile expressing the pious hope that the Almighty would have mercy on his soul
 For this most surprising of all taxi drivers, should you happen to encounter him, will be no other than Arthur Lynch M. F., whose life has been a series of astonishing adventures in some fifty diff ferent countries, who led the famous Irish brigade that fought with the Boers and who, after being condemned to death for so doing had his sentence commuted
 
 leased, you may remember, after under going a years solitary confinement in Lewes prison and as amazing climax to those experiences, was elected to Par liament in 1910, and now sits in that most famous of all legislative assemblies as member for West Clare, the district of Ireland in which his almost as fla ncus father first saw the light.
 Colonel Lynch, who IS now being talked of as leader of the recently formed Lon don branch of the Irish nationalists vol unteers, is, of course, well known al- ready in the United States, which he has visited twice. the last time some 15 years ago and where, in common with the rest of the world, his Boer war exploits, and the incidents that followed, made him famous. Incidentally he is one of the most learned and versatile men. as well as one of the most prolific writers in the House. and thereby, curiously enough, hangs the tale of how he recently de- cided to qualify as a taxi-driver in Paris, and did SO qualify, though whether he actually will put his knowledge to prac- tical use is another matter. One thing, however. is quite certain, this being that he would not hesitate an instant about doing so did 1t happen to suit his pur- pose. Psychology and mathematics are the two subjects which he has made pe- culia-ly his own, the former in fact, being, according to Lynch, the basis of everything he has written including his four novels and his poems, one of the latter of which, by the way, called Prince Azreel. tells how the devil paid a visit to the House of Commons and occupied seat in the distinguished strangers galley and later dropped into the House of Lords and saw the late King Edward open Parliament.
 As a student, the present member for West Clare appears to have been some thing of "phenom" ever since his ear ing room of the House of Commons, tn other day, looking out upon the gay and famous scene of tea on the terrace, he remarked that when he was a mere boy his father once offered ihim the equivalent of five cents for every exer else in geometry he worked out and de- claTed with a laugh that Lynch senior was soon compelled to retract his offer being in imminent danger otherwise of ben gregularly cleaned out. Later Inc stuCied first at Ballarat, (where his fa- ther had fought in the famous Eureka stockade) afterward at Melbourne uni versity and still later, first at the Ber- lin university, then in the Hospital Beau jon fn Paris, and at St. Mary's Hospital Medical school in London, and since thai tirne whenever he has had a breathing space-including the year that he spen in solitary conference.-the had made { point of adding to his already astonish ing errdition. So it was that when, il November last, the parliamentary Saca ton gave him the opportunity he pohpet over to Paris with view to acquirAnl the-apparently-few things he difn' already kno wabout electrical engineerf4g