The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-12

fio0 osr1rzfES1[ NAs sNc ssfNs4<1@- -
tbs foresxn csf1ce zEd hRa rnde-tsks1 tse
es.atgishusens q nzo3eE1 Sost21 systern
for tie csuntry- He hs1 teg1a - o1l4c
mint Electro iigEts lad been cr1syed
from AreEic4 for tie p&t sesA and osdy
Ok Korean cadets had been cent from
Jspaa sad drilled By ne soldiers there.
Fhsy ha9 cone back. and the king had
gwen fasm iDpogtsns positions n tas
ps1Sca TIE Chinese iEssEuCsors o. he
troops had hesn dismissed. a1d eating
guns wsrs ordered from america
In the rnsantinas the aati-foreiEn spirit
began % rise. The Chiasss Esz tass they
and sheir evil z1ti9n were losing gToEad
every day. They tsit th@1 Korez vas slip
ping sEaF from them. sid they did al
they eosid . f2mens tro1bss. They 500
had party IN tse.r favor. Prince Mn
Yong Tx changed his EsoLey. and se4ned
toward the Chinese. sgdC tie country vas
IN . shoEs time OWNED apen the Lines Of
progress and snti-progSess, o., IN Other
words upon "a ose Of Ihk1a and apan- IL
- divided in ths sane say today. Sstna
represents the cd regtuss Japan stands u
the plare 81 modern progress and csFls3Za-
ton. There are two parties nov, - tnere
were then, aud il NAV 6e said that these
parties are hezded By the families o. tie
king and queen. The gEeens family -
very strong in Korea 1hs chief officials
who have been squeezing the country 70
death Sel1aE 20 u. and an told that tney
favor the Chinese. They did so ten years
ago. and IL was through them that large
part Of tie kings reysnt1es went 20 thse
paving OF Chinese trossps who tzsTeled
about the country acting IN the most liIl~
padent way. Kin Ok Kun saS Esth
alarm the growth Of the Eninsse element
As vice president Of the foreign ox1ees ne
had 70 pay the sllls q many contracts
which we're made with the japanese. put
there Was no money IN the treasury lie
decided 10 overthrow the existing govern
ment, 20 seize The King. esid, through him.
rule Korea after modern methods. lie
had influential friends 70 help him, and
his conspiracy came 10 o head just aoout
ten years ago.
II Was the night Of December 4 1854
The new postal services had just been
opened. The first mail had been sent that
day froSn here 90 the seaeo2st at Cienulpo
and the neg postmaster general was Civ
ing dinner in honor Of the event The
leading foreigners had rgEs2ed in and taken
uptheir residence in Seoal as soon as the
country was opened. and party Of ufese
noble Koreans and generals were at the
table dong justice 10 the feast. The din
ner vas at It's height. when an alarm OF
fire Was raised, and 10 Was reported that
the hoase OF the crown prince was II
flames Now. according 10 the custom Of
this country one Of the two gensrals-ln-
chief OF the army has 20 go 10 every ire
that occurs in the capital lie organizes
the forces for its suppression and reports
upon il 10 the KING. Gen. Min Yong TX
rose from the table and rushed for his
horse. A few moments later he was
brought back with his BODY covered with
blood. de had q saber cut across his face
and half dozen serious wounds upon his
person. DR.. II. -. Alien, an Ohio man,
then connected with the Presbyterian
Medical Mission here. WIS called -. He
took charge OF him, and e was by his skill
that an almost miraculous cure was az
fected- NO Korean could have saved him,
and il was through this treatment that DIR.
Allen became the most influential for
elgner in Korea The king and queen
treat him almost as one Of their family,
and Il Is through him that the American
missions have so prospefed, and that enc
influence OF the United States Is today sa-
perior 10 that of any other nation in the
world-bat that IL another story.
In the meantime, while this was going
on, Kim Ok Kun and one of his con-
federates ran TO the palace. They sta
toned the Japanese cadets at the gates
and permitted no one but their friends to
enter. They told the king that the Chi
nese soldiers were goingto overthrow the
government and capture him. They
charged some Of the officials with being
IN the plot and urged him to fee with
them. Gen. Han was present. He OBJ
jscted to the kings going with Kim,
whereupon Kim kicked him and told bin
be was a traitor to the king. His majesty
believed Kim's story and he gave him his
royal seal. Kim took this and sent for the
most influential os his enemies. As soon
as they arrived AZ the palace they were
told 20 20 10 a certain room, where the
king was. and rs they entered the door
Kim's cadets sliced off their heads. The
king had before this been taken TO an
other para of the palace, and word was
sent to the japanese legation asking for
its troops 10 come 10 the palace 10 protect
the king. In the mean Zine, the Chinese
legation saw what Was going on. They
were. think. under the same man who Is
now minister 10 Korea. and who, by the
way. is one OF the shreSdest diplomats of
the world, and who has, au told, eli the
arrogance and the impotence that the
Chlnaman shows whenever he gets the
upper hand. With hrs troops ne at
tempted 10 take the palace. Tne Koreans
came TO his assistance, and Kim saw that
the game was up. lie fied first with the
king 10 q temple back of tbs palace, but
the next day he allowed the Chinese to
get possession Of his majesty and sur
rounded by his Japanese guard, lied to
ChemRlpo and sailed for Japan. Since
then he has been under the protection OF
the Japanese government, and ii Is only
through them that has lie has been pre-
served 50 Icing.
The true story of kim Ok Kiun's taking
of has not been told. / get it almost d.
rect from bis assassin. He is nov nomi-
nalIy in prison, and he cannot be brought
into the presence Of the king until thirty
days from the time whsn his hands have
touched a dead body. This is according
10 Korean custom. he is well treated.
however. and when 9 month has passed
every one expects that he will be called to
court and receive n high official position
for his bloody murder. This mans life
would make u plot for a dime novel, and
his assassination Of Kim was done. not
because he hated him, but in order that he
might carry out a pet scheme of vengeance
which has, / am told. been the main
spring Of his actions for years The man
who gave me my information Is n Korean
official from the northern part OF the
country, who Is = close friend oi the assas-
sin, aud who WAS in Seoul at the time Of
ktm's rebellion. He came 10 me almost
directly after y talk with the assassin. ana
the mar told me just how he had killed
Kim a. Shanghai and gioated over il as
be related Why he did IL A more villain
Gus act / never heard described The as
ssssin's name is Hong ChoRg Woo lie
= a man 81 ABOUT ~ years 81 age lie Was
/ born near here, and when be vas stli
young has father moved 70 the island Of
oHel paFG Here Hong get an office lie
vas ! very n930sG otil6.al aud he levied
all sorts Of unfair taxes. lie squeezed tie