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

E1nx SEw tn.t tEroag5 kslls.ss htn ne
n sght Pa > TIE faEor - The kfag s7d g@s
rhe e<1ceS whs<a woEl1 ac1cnp.lsn ais
scheaee ~ vengeance. He sozgns Kin
dence he Treteadsd 70 Esst 20 cver-
throw tie Korean goverrEenL ~ ms
szu<S tirne hs privately tosd the minister
from Korea 20 TOKYO that be tho1gnE kirn
ouyhs 70 ~ killed aad that he was rsaty
% SO T. The kgation beeaDe convinced
o. his sirrcerlsy. and tnsy nsst ztteTE ped
witN hsm TO take Kim 20 korzs 1s5ve
Tsssv gave him = dinner II t@a ncss- in
Yokohama, where there we're f4euty OF
Eesshas AMI p1eatyo OF sire The scheme
VS. 70 gSs k.ra drank. propose ; ride 20
ceos &C 70 capture hs1 c1ri1g the FAaes
carry him toa ship and take eiR 70 Korea
Every tnlng ~sEft veil I'd 20 the taIns o.
getuag int0 i5nrskshas for the ride. Here
II failed, bec&use The men from the Korean
legation vers not On tire
Then Hong planned the assassination 81
Shanghai. he HAD great trouble in getting
KIn 70 leave Japan. and IL Nas only
through persnadsng horn that be had the
money BY which he conid organize another
revolution IN Korea thst he got him 70 20.
Kim thought fhat If he had $1,000 hs
could get enough japanese troops 10 go
with him 20 Korea 10 conquer the country.
he knsw thst the Korean soldiers we're Of
no good and realized that The people we're
on tha verge Of rebellion. Hong pre-
tended he tai the money in q French
bank st Shanghai, and he shoEed Kim
forged cheek upon this bank for 5000
Pc tod Kim that there were many Ros-
SLAMS IN Shanghai, and that during bis
stay in France BE had learned many taings
about the schemes of Russia DE said
Tnat the Russians were building the Trans
Siberian railroad IN order 70 take Korea
first 6nz xfterward China He SAID that
they we're looking about for 3 good
strong Korean general 10 help them,
and that BY meeting the Russians ~
Shanghai. Kim eoaid in all proba-
bifity have the command OF their forces
In this and other ways he st last Der-
sGahea him 20 leave Japan. He acted 50
that Kim had full fAitn IN him. going so
far as to even present him with sword
cane. and telling him he must have this
always With him, 30 that he could use X II
attacked by any Koreans a. Shanghai.
On the trip Hong paid al the bills and he
furnishes Kim with money Tor his ex-
penses 81 Shanghai The two had rooms
at one 81 the good hotels. and IL was in
Kim's own room that Hong shot him.
Kim was lying down N has chair reading
aad Hong waking up and down the room
preteALlu0 Ll8L he 13 tl4CA lDtcEcetc4 III
. book. During the walk he got behind
kim's char and then pullec revolver
and shot him again and again, killing him
al the third or fourth shot. You have all
read how the Chinese authorities protected
him, aad how by Ii Hung Chang's order
both he and the dead remains OF Kim were
taken 70 Korea. All this was baroarous
enough. but perhaps the most barbarous
of ali remains TO be told.
I refer 10 the treatment of Kim Ok
Kinn's body. It was landed in Korea
shortIy before reached here, and sailed
up the Han river the other day past the
spot upon which be was muti!ated. The
body was taken by the Chinese vessel of
war to port near Chemulpo. and il was
brought up this river by deputation from
the king There is a point about three
miles from Seoul. where Kim crossed this
stream during his flight from the country
after his rebellion. In q hut beside this
place the body was left over night The
next day IL was taken from Its coffin.
stripped OF Its clothes and laid face down.
ward upon the ground. Then a murderer
--murderers always perform the part of
executioners in Korea-cut the corpse into
six pieces with blunt sword.
IAN eye witness has told me how it was
DONE" said he.
First the head was chopped of, then the
left hand was cut of at the wrist next the
right hand AZ the wrist, and then the left
and right feet The hair was Embossed
from the topknot, which ornaments every
Korean crown. and the head was tied by
the hair with the feet and hands TO the
crossings of three poles, which were
propped against each other like those of a
tent. The bloody trunk was then left
IN ha vrnnpd haInw
upon the coffin, which stood near by, aud
upon the poles, were fastened strips of
paper, bearing In large Korean characters
the crime of Kim and denunciation of
his deed. For three days the remains were
left in this condition, and the japanese
photographer of Seoul took a picture of
them, which lies before me, and / have
had a sketch made by my Korea artist
from the photograph. AT the end of the
three days the remains were taken down,
and they are now well on their way
through all parts of Korea. They are car
rled by the kings royal couriers ana six
Of these men have each piece which they
are bearing to and from the governors of
the six leading provinces OF the country.
Each governor will receive his portion OF
the dead body with fitting ceremonies,
and for three days il will be hung over the
main gate of his capital city as q warning
to traitors. After this time il will be taken
down and will be given back 10 the courier
who Will carry 1t 10 the mountain of Che
ri San. Tbis mountain IS about sixty
miles from Seoul. Here the different
eouriers will meet some weeks from now
and deposit the remains, which time. de-
cay and the birds have left of the body.
One of the most curious things that !
have heard in connection with Kim ok
Kiun's execution, and one which gives a
good insight into Korean character and
the condition OF the country, was in rela-
ton 10 the couriers v no are carrying about
this dead human flesh. a prominent
Korean said to me yesterday: These
couriers Will earn great deal of money by
carrying kim's body from place to place"
How 2' said |. Il suppose the king
paws them we'll"
''No," Vas the reply. They don't get
IL from the king. The king viii know
nothing about it, but they viii earn il on
the road. Each courier. you know, is on
the kings business, and according TO law,
IL would be almost death TO reiard him.
The couriers vii, travel very slowly and
they Will lew a tax on every man they
meet. Take, Tor instance, the man who $
carrying the bloody and now half decom-
posed head. lie has to take il 10 one of
the southern provinces, and be could 20
there IN ten days. IL VIII probably take
hIm a month, and be viii earn moneg all
the way. Suppose he comes 10 the door
OF q rich mans house. lie will stop there,
knock on the door. and tell the rich man
that he is tired. and that he would like 10
rest in the neigh 0orhooa tor day or so.
lie vii lay the bloody head down
on the mans paTior door, and will
order him to keep IL for him until he is
ready to go. The man wgl not dare 70
strike bgnl, for be = the kings courier
lie eiil cry, On, take u agayi Take 4
away ana be vii earn much money from
tbaf man. A little further on he may