The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1894-07-28
INTO A DEATH TRAP.
FATE OF A KOREAN WHO DooeED
AsSAsslNs FOR TEN YEARS.

Comparative Security by the Promise Of
Money and Political Power-A True Story
a. Startling as ono Of caboriau's.
Gaboriau never wrote detective nov
ell that had in it a moro startling story
of criminal revenge than has the follow
ing true story from China The assas-
sination at Shanghai of Kim Ok Kim,
the Korean conspirator. was the climax
Of 10 years of sloepless pursuit of this
refugee by emissaries of the Korean gov
ernment.
II seems that Kim, who was the lead
er in the Seoul palace plot Of 1884 and
fed TO Japan to avoid death, recently
received letters from an old Korean exile
in Shanghai Offering 10 pay him large
sum that had been duo many years if
he would go to Shanghai About the
same time Kim received an invitation
to go to Shanghai from Lord Ii, former
ly Chinese minister to Japan, specially
instructed by Viceroy Ii Hung Chang.
This step was taken by the viceroy, it
is assumed. owing to the increasing in
fiuence Of Russia in Korean affairs, and
be felt the necessity Of an alliance with
Japan as a sctof against tho oncroach-
ments Of Russia For this reason the
attitude of China toward Japan in con-
nection with Korean matters has become
much milder of late, Us may be in
stanced in the appointment of a much
more easy going minister in the place
of Yuan, the late representative Of
China in Japan With this change of
policy the support given by China to
the Ming family has scnsibly declined,
and their influence has in consequence
waned Lord Ii intended to have held
a conference with Kim, with the idea
of drawing up a programme Of progress
i've party politics which it was proposed
to introduce again into Korea.
Kim saw the means of gaining a
small fortune and of increasing his pres
tige with China and Japan. He saw
that the latter might lead to his return
to power So he ignored the danger and
started for Shanghai Whether the as
sassin accompanied him is not known,
but the day after he reached Shanghai
Kim was killed in foreign hotel.
The assassin, Kwo Sho was caught
and held for trial. He belongs to fam
lily said to have held an official position
for generations in the peninsular king
dom. He came to Japan in 1888, al
most resourceless, and earned a difficult
livelihood by various devices. Never
theless in 1890 he managed to procure
money for trip to Europe, where he
spent three years, often encountering
great hardship. but always finding
means to live without recourse to char
ity. Returning to Japan, he showed a
keen interest in politics Those who
, know him best declare he is an adven-
] turer who would undertake any crime
for sufficient reward.
On the same day that Kim was. killed
plan was devised for numbering Boku
i Ell Ko, another Korean who had solicit
ed funds for a school in Tokyo for train
e ing Korean youth. One of the students.
e Tai Gen, told his fellows that he had
S been ordered by Ii Itsu Shoku, Ko-
. rean, who claimed to have instructions
n from the king at Seoul, to murder Bo-
IS ku- The lad hcsitatcd because the vic
Il tim had been good to him Ii and the
70 students were arrested
a After Kim fled from Korea repeated
N efforts We're made by the Korean govern
& ment to procure his extradition, but tn,
= Japanese foreign Office refused TO enter
e tain any such demand, obviously op
Ie posed. as it was, TO the practice of civil
g lized nations For time the rcfuge'
h was prudent enough to avoid any &c
If that might shake the japanese govern
rs ment's decision or endanger his owl
ID privilege of asylum But as time wen
1T by he acquired assurance and began, o
al was supposed to have begun. fresh de
N signs against the public peace Of thu
Of country The japanese authorities hat
te then to choose between running the risl
m of troublesome complications witt
Korea, or ordering Kim to leave Japan
OF removing him TO some place wher
his Vaccinations would be PRACTICAL
y powerless The first Of these course
u would have been plainly businessman
III like, the second would have involve
at Kim's death, and the third was open t
=, several objections Nevertheless tn
VI last course was chosen Kim was sen
y to the BONN islands. Here he lived
y comfortable and uneventful life for som
Il years
y Finally it was decided that the eli
80 mate of the Bonins did not agree wit
~ Kim. and he went to Tokyo. An in
'is preston constantly prevailed among I'll
japanese that Kim could never re:
without making some final attempt
of carry out the programme which faile
l. so signally in 1884 IL is said that /
or his early days he three times dissipate
ed the whole of his resources in gambling
us and that his speculative tendency di
n not disappear. but only took differer
al direction in later years.
ke In his own country and in China
in was always regarded as a factor Of p'
M tential magnitude in the oriental que
Ae ron. The anxiety Of his goyernmer
is. about him was shown by repeated a
tempts to get possession Of his persoi
and even, it is rumored, by more tina
one commission to assassinate him
>, A man Of considerable attainment
,, and wide eTudition, he possessed ali
-. the gift of winning not only confidenc
- but sympathy. During his residence
"a Japan-where he went by the name