Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-08-13
PRINOE OF OoREA.
But the Victim at Timss Of Most
Outrageous Fortune.

j
the United States to finish his edu-
cation, must be a thing Of Joy to the
astrologers if the early events Of his
life 60 for anything. He is the sec
ond son of the king by a concubine,
but has been legitimized, because his
elder brother, the son of the queen, is
an imbecile.
Stormy indeed have been the days
of his youth Hated by the queen,
who sees the kingdom must pass out
of the hands Of her own son, it would
appear as if every fiendish art has
been tried to destroy the young mans
life. In the palace of his father, by
whom he is much loved, hired assas-
sins murdered his mother. 1t has
never been told how the prince es-
capped, although he was in the palace
at the time and was the means Of dis
closing the nationality of the muir
derers.
The prince is not unknown to
many readers, for in 1895 his troubles
were SO great that he was in hiding
and sought the good offices Of the late
Col, John A. Cockerill to assist him
in his flight from Corea III his ac-
count of the circumstances Col. Cock
Grill said in letter, which was pub
lished at the time:
"Assoon as the queen, whose fanat-
ical love for her son, the crown
prince, was intense, saw young Ye
VIVA Kung Eui Wha) rising in favor
she conceived a great hatred for him.
She saw that this youth might be-
come a serious rival to her own son,
knowing something of the whirling
politics in Corea.
"She caused his mother to be
killed and his brother and sister to
be put out Of the way. The young
prince was protected by his father,
and his grandfather, the Tai-Wai
Kun"
The colonel then described a series
of intrigues by which the queen was
enabled to get the young man into
disfavor all around. Finally the con-
dition was so bad that his friends pre-
pared to get him out of the country.
They went to Col. Cockerill, and in
his own words is described what fol-
lowed:
81 undertook to do so, knowing
full we'll that if / was discovered |
would encounter the malevolent
queen, and that it might not go we'll
with me. = y s. The plan as ar
ranged was that the prince and the
young In CHICO were to disguise
themselves, cutting off their hair and
dressing like japanese servants. l
was provided with letters which
would secure me the cooperation of
the captain of one Of the little Jap
anese steamers plying between Mar
pot, the landing for Seoul, and the
port of Chemulpo. At a point we
were to secure passage on a steamer
leaving either for Chefoo, Tien-Tien,
Shanghai or Hong-Kong-any place
outside of Japan. 1t was
agreed that the prince should leave
the country as my valet"
Events occurred rapidly, however,
and before the time for escape actual
ly arrived the queen had been muir
dered, the king deposed and Tai-Wai-
Kun, the princes crafty old GRANDPA
Their, had assumed the reins of gov
eminent. He communicated with
the prince, who returned to the pal
ace. Later his father resumed his
throne and became reconciled to the
boy.
This, however, did not end his
troubles. He started with Rev. j.
S. Gale, an American missionary, to
come to the United States in March
last. When the steamer arrived he
was not on board. Mr. Gale an
that he had been prevented
from leaving Yokohama by body
of Corean rebels, who held him with
the determination of proclaiming
him king.
Some influence must have been ex-
erted to enable him to get away, and
now for the first time since his birth
he will be able to have a period of
rest. In stature he is small and bears
the indecisive lineaments of the Cor
can race. He is about "a years old,
and studied for time in Japan.-N.
Y. World.
Victoria's Sharp Grandson.
There is good story going about
Prince Alexander the son of Prin-