The Press., 1894-08-30
Letter from Korea.

Seoul, July 2sth 1894.
 Notwithstanding all you see in the pa pers concerning Korea, suspect you will wait with some anxiety to hear what your special correspondent has to say about affairs
 It has been an eventful week. About five o'clock last Monday morning I was awakened by heavy raps against my win dow. As soon as opened my eyes my house boy shouted in an excited and Frightened voice, 'Lady, lady, they are fighting hard at the palace" It was not difficult to believe him, for the reports of the rifle shots followed in quick succession. Fifteen or twenty minutes later all was quiet. The Japanese made an easy en- trance. They forced open the outer gate, and then everything seemed accomplish ed. It was done much more easily, prob ably, than it would have been had not the king given orders to his soldiers to cease firing. Whether he saw from the begin ming that it was useless to cope with the Japanese, or whether he was secretly fa- voring them, do not know.
 The king retired to an inner palace, af- ter which the Toi Owen Kenu, the kings father, who was for many years regent, was brought in in state by the Japanese.
 Simultaneously with the attack on the palace all the gates of the city were taken possession of, and by six o'clock all the important streets of the city were being patrolled by Japanese soldiers. About this time our United States minister sent word to hoist our American flags, which order we proceeded immediately to obey.
 About two o'clock in the afternoon there was another slight skirmish at the new barracks, where the kings soldiers were quartered. There, too, the Japanese were victorious indeed, it is reported that the general in charge counselled non-resistance. A few were killed on both sides, many men wounded, and the Koreans were obliged to give up their arms.
 In short time the wounded began to come into the hospital, and from that time until the present Dr. Scranton has been busy from morning until late at night caring for them. Dr. Hall is now with him, and young MT. Sill, so he will get little relief, I hope.
 As soon as the first shots were fired the women and children, and some men also, began to crowd into our compounds. They came in such numbers that we were finally compelled to lock the gates. We tried to assure them that, since no more resistance was to be made by the Ko- reans, at least until the Chinese came, they would be safe in their own homes but it is not easy to make Korean be- lieve there is anything but badness in the heart of Japanese, so our assurances af- fected them very little. They came, bringing their bags of rice, loads of wood, household furniture, &c., &c., and they seemed to have no thought but that we could find room for all. We did stow away as many as we could, but that was not nearly so many as wanted to stay with us. Quite large number have gone out now, however, but the probabilities are that they will return before many days.
 We have no idea the Chinese will long allow their enemy the peaceable posses sion of this city. They are now in large numbers at Asam, and quite body of Japanese have gone to meet them there We heard there was fighting at San Onin three days ago, but do not know whether this is true.
 There has been one severe naval en- gagement, in which one ship loaded with