The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-10-19


' duced him to go to
Shanghai, hastened ostensibly to greet
him, and they had hardly exchanged
a word before the false friend stabbed
the newcomer to the heart. The crime
was political murder, planned in the
court of Korea, connived at by the
Chinese authorities, and the story
throws curious light upon the meth
DDS and practices still in vogue in
oriental society. The victim was Kim
Ok Kun, who, ten years ago, headed
an unsuccessful revolutionary attempt
at Seoul, the capital of Korea From
the day he failed he had been followed
by emissaries of the Korean court,
bent first upon his extradition to the
home from which he had fed, and
finally, equipped with instructions to
kill him, and to carry out this meri-
torious service to their country in
such a way as to save the court from
any appearance of completely.
When the deed was done last March,
it was evident that China and Korea
had perfect understanding in the
matter The murderer was not
dragged off to the Shanghai lookup,
like common malefactor. On the
contrary, he was treated with respect
full consideration, as soon as his name
and that of his victim were made
known. He not only went free, but he
was permitted to buy tickets for one
passenger and one coffin to Korea,
and he departed for home with the
body of his victim and the distinction
due to a man who had rendered O
public service. In the capital o.
Korea the assassin was honored as nc
ordinary patriot The body OF the
murdered man was divided into eight
parts, and one part was sent to eacl
of the provinces of the kingdom to be
exposed to view on the public high
ways.
This much of the tragedy has beer
published. 1t is believed, however
that the extraordinary story which
had this bloody termination has no
been retold, and it is well worth re
lating in connection with the Grim
that has closed the chapter. 1t wa
told in October, 1886, when the Jap
anese newspapers were abiding il
every issue to the lively correspond
ence between the Governments o
Japan, China and Korea, concerning
Kim and the attempts of his enemie
to kill him: and he himself appeare
in print with the evidence of the plot
against his life, which were the basi
of his appeal to the Government c
Japan for protection.
One night near the. end of Decen
Der, 1884, a number of the highes
, officials of Korea gathered at bar
, quet in the new postotlice building il
Seoul. A servant suddenly opene
the door and cried that the house wa
about to be attacked. The men at til
3 tables fled into the darkness, only t
find that enemies surrounded them
=, Some of them were killed on the spo
and others were severely wounded
Then the mob and its leaders rushe
to the palace to secure the person {
f the King. By this time news of IL
s uprising bad spread through the cit.
and the guards of the legation ha
fastened to the palace to add the
strength to the Kings bodyguar'
3 The rebels, who were attempting not
s ing less than the destruction of evel
p leading official of the Government
beseiged the building, but the plut
: and discipline of the japanese Ike
It them at bay. Then the Chinese troop
o hearing that the Japanese were int
n fering unwarrantably in one OF t
J internal connections of Korea, march
7" from their camp outside the city Al
Ie gave battle to the japanese at the pJ
J. ace, but the latter held their o,
u throughout the night. In the MOI
l.. ing it was found that the King n
ded and the ,Tananpse had to flo