Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-01-14
THE COHEN co.
KoREA.s QUEEN STILL ALIVE.
Seeming Danger at the Moment OF
the October Tragedy, She Fled.

tnc OctODtE 'ss~
The New York Herald's European edi-
ton publishes the following:
SHANGHAI January ia romance
eaualling anything which Rider Haggard
ever wrote comes from Seoul, the capital
of Korea. relating to the conspiracy
which broke out there last November
The story Is given OIL the authority OF
one whom | implicitly trust. but whose
identity must remain secret for the
present The facts are known only to a
few ,ersons, one being the King. and all
have the strongest motives for conceai-
ment.
IL will be remembered that on Novem-
her 9th An unsuccessful plot eliminated
in an attack on the palace by number
OF Koreans belonging TO the Queens
party. NJ Waeber. the Russian Cnarse
dAffaires. Drs. Allen ana undetwoou'
and other Americans were accused on
apparently strong grounds, Of being priVy
to the plot. They were. In fact. said 10
have been on the spot simultaneously
with the abortive attempt. 1hey' now
ever, denied all completely.
The King and the japanese, beinS
warned beforehand. posted extra guarus
and foiled the conspiracy.
NV information now shows that VI.
Waeber and the English Consul snare"
the secret the object being to seize tne
ministers, expel the Japanese, free the
King from the latter's influence. and re-
store the Queen. who was reputed to be
dead but who was in reality alive.
The Russian Secretary OF Legation was
the leading spirit I'm the conspiracy, an"
was deputed to convey the Queen from
her place Of hiding to the palace. Inc
failure of the attempt necessitated the
keenIne of the secret Of the Queen being
in existence, which is now for the hrst
time dvulged.
When. In October. the Koreans ann
Japanese broke into the palace. the
without speaking to j. women. In an
obscure clubhouse, saw he bodies OF her
ladies' in waiting dragged TO the pyre
prepared for them outside. and watched
the completion of the tragedy from her
hld!ng-place.
The Queen was concealed Tor an nonf
and half. every moment expecting uIs.
cover. She fled at last through a secret
passage to the old palace. and thence,
after changing her dress. made her es-
cane outside the walls Of the city,
where she reached place OF safety
when the japanese and Koreans ex-
amined the charred bodies ~ the women
who had been burned, the King and some
others shrewdly fcigned that they had
discovered the identity OF the Queen IN
one OF the victims, lest search should
reveal her whereabouts and lead to her
murder.
The Japanese accepted the account OF
the Queens death as true. Mn. Waber
and Hilber the latter being the Ger
man Consul must have been privy TO
the secret, which was. however. well
kept.
Three Koreans were strangled last week
as the Queens murderers, while the
trial OF yjscount Mura and other Japa-
nese officials is proceeding at Hiroshima
for the murder OF a woman who still lives.
Ti-Uan-Shin. the leader OF the last abor-
tive plot. is hiding here.
An American friend. who came here
on the Russian cruiser Otvajny. says
that Russia IL using the supposed muir
der OF the Queen as weapon against
the Japanese. although well knowing Its
falsity.
The Queen has been killed By runor
twice before.