The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-14

Seeming Danger at Very Moment of the
October Tragedy, She Concealed Herself


SHANGHAI. Jan. 13. ls96-A romance
equalling anything which Rider Haggard
ever wrote comes from Seoul, the capital
OF Corea, relating to the conspiracy which
broke out there last November. The story
IS given on the authority of one whom |
implicitly trust, but whose Identity must
remain a secret for the present. The facts
are known only TO a few persons, one
being the King, and all have the strongest
motives for cOncealment.
IL Will be remembered that on November
2oth an unsuccessful plot eliminated in an
attack on the palace by a number Of
COreans belonging 10 the Queens party.
NJ. Waeber, the Russian Charge dAf-
fairs, Drs. Allen and Underwood and
other Americans We're accused, on APP
parently strong grounds, of being privy
TO the plot. They were. in fact, said to
have been on the spot simultaneously
with the abortive attempt They how
ever, denied all completely.
The King and the Japanese, being
warned beforehand, posted extra guards
and folled the conspiracy.
My information shows that NJ Wac
Der and the English Consul shared the Sc
cret, the object being TO seize the Minis
ters, expel the japanese. free the King
from the latters influence and restore
the Queen. who was reputed TO be dead,
but who was in reality alive.
The Russian Secretary Of Legation was
the leading spirit in the conspiracy. and
was deputed 10 convey the Queen from
her palace OF hiding TO the palace. The
failure OF the attempt necessitated the
keepn OF the secret Of the Queen being
I'm existence, which Is now for the first
time divulged.
When, In October. the Coreans and Jap
anese broke into the palace. the Queen.
scentng danger. hid hastily, without
speaking 10 her women. in an obscure
clubhouse. saw the bodies OF her ladies'
in waiting dragged to the pyre prepared
for them outside. and watched the COM
pletion OF the tragedy from her hiding
place.
The Queen was concealed for an hour
and a half, every moment expecting dis
covery She fed at last through a secret
passage 10 the old palace and thence.
after changing her dress. made her es-
cape outside the walls OF the city, where
she reached a place Of safety.
When the japanese and COreans ex-
amined the charred bodies Of the women
who had been burned. the King and some
others shrewdly feigned that they had dis
covered the Identity OF the Queen in one
Of the victims, lest search should reveal
her whereabouts and lead 10 her murder
The Japanese accepted the account OF
the Queens death as true. NM Waeber
and Huber. the latter being the German
Consul. must have been privy TO the Sc
cret which was. however. well kept
Three Coreans We're strangled last week
as the Queens murderers. while the trial
of Viscount Mura and othr Japanese off,
clals Is proceeding az Hiroshima for the
murder OF a woman who still lives IL
Han-Shin. the leader of the last abortive
plot. is In hiding here.
An American friend. who came here on
the Russian cruiser Otvainy. says that
Russia is using the supposed murder OF
the Queen as weapon against the Japa-
nese. although we'll knowing its falsty.
The Queen has been killed by rnmor
twice before.-New York Herald.