Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-01
Experiences of vWashington's For
mer Major of Police.
HAS BEEN BGEyMlElsfER OF War
A Tower of Strength in the Defense
OF the King.
LONG YEARS OF SERVICE
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star

honors. is about to start for his old home
in the United States. His family lives in
Muskegon, but his old home is in Wash
ington. where for many years he was major
of police.
From the time of his arrival in the coun-
try until recently General Dye was the
military adviser Of his Corean majesty and
the chief organizer, instructor etc. of the
Corean army, which in Seoul alone consist
ed. including the gendarmerie of about T.
ooo men. mostly infantry and artillery. AL
though the former class of the country,
which furnishes nearly all the soldiers, are
superb riders, there was and is very little
cavalry, because of the diminutive charac-
ter OF the native pony. Soon after General
Dyes arrival in the kingdom he was made
vice minister of war, young cousin of the
KING tand queen occupying the position of
minister. his General Dyes rank being
the second in the kingdom, the first rank
being held by only a few persons and
they usually relatives of the king or queen
Inc late minister to Washington, Ye Pom
Chin, is one of the few who hold the first
rank, he having successfully secreted the
queen at his mountain retreat for some
weeks and months, during and after
bloody emeute some fifteen years ago when
her life was in great jeopardy, for she was
bounded by the kings INSCRIPTIONS father
from the time she became the kings con-
sort until her death. Ye Pom Chin later,
three years ago, effected by virtue of his
position of refugee at the Russian lega-
ton, his majesty's and the crown princes
escape from the clutches of the pro-Japan-
ese-Corean conSpirators. who, since their
murder of the queen few months before,
had practically kept them in durance vile.
The Corenn Army.
The military, besides especially guarding
the palace, also poiiced the city, General
Dye making the precincts and locating the
troops. The arms with which the troops
We're provided We're mostly from the United
States-including the Remington rifle, CAT
ling guns, etc. The provincial troops gem
orally had flint lock, or, as was mostly
the case, the slow match and the printing
pan. These seemed to answer in IA coun-
try where the population are not allowed
to own arms, and are used successfully
even against the tiger.
After the invasion of the country by the
Japanese, especially in 1895, there was a
constant struggle lending with the murder
of the QUEEN between the Japanese and
the royal family for the control of the
military in the talaoe, who We're the spe-
cial guard of the royal family. which the
king claimed should be under his direct
orders, whatever authority the Japanese
might choose to exercise over the troops
located elsewhere throughout the country.
The Japanese, with a Japanese army in the
capital city had already begun to reorgan-
ize a la Japanaise, some of the old army
residing outside the palace; for only por
ton of the army, on any one day, stood
guard within the palace wallis. General
Dye stood by the royal family in this con-
test. He was, after the advent of the
Japanese in July, 1894, permanently quar-
tered quite near the royal compound, in
granite and brick structure adjoining the
library (said to be the finest building in
the peninsula), which annex was erected
for the use of the Queen or crown prince
Here he was when the Japanese and Corean
No y,.l and
dered the queen in October, 1873, after the
japanese had disarmed all the army ex
cepting few men who Were then ready to
obey their behests. 1t was at great per-
sonal Inconvenience and sacrifice that, not
WithStanding repeated threats and ever
present imminent danger surrounding him.
he stood for months and years even royal
ly by the royal family, who seemed to rely
much upon him for their personal safety
anu the preservation of their dynasty, for
1t seemed to them, as his majesty said
that they had lost nearly if not quite, all
their Corean friends in their sore hour of
need.
Tried to Force Him Out.
When the household minister the queen
and others were being wantonly murdered.
two attempts were made by the Japanese
and their Corean coadjutors, with man I'M
der arms, to forcfbly eject Gen. Dye from
the palace inclosurs, they had just done
in the case of the only other foreigner in
the palace on that eventful morning. How
evere. certain signs and warnings from
Ger. Dye caused them to desist for thu
time being, when they found that they
might have to Undue their hands with the
blood of innocent foreigner. whose only
fault, in their sight, was standing Loyalty
by their sovereign. or royal host. These
efforts to separate him from the royal fam
lily did not end, but continued for months,
during which time he was practically d.
prisoner with the king and crown prince.
off 4, hn Of
bribery, repeated attempts being made at
it by, the de facto minister of war. This
not succeeding, the influence of the Ameri-
can minister was invoked, and the obtain
ing of the consent of the king essayed. to the
end that Gen. Dye might yield to the de-
mands of the usurping government. who
had just murdered the queen; but all to no
purpose. These efforts We're to obtain his
consent to go to the war department every
day, outside the palace walls, ostensibly
to Civ. military advice, but when he could
not well see what wrong might be in
1icted upon the sovereign family then I'M
der the personal surveillance of the Sal
Nohn-koOn. And to obtain this consent
h,. was offered a new contract, Gen. Dye
fixing the time it should endure, increased
pay and increased rank In fact, he had
a carte blanche to fix the terms of his
compliance with their wishes. Tha next
step differed somewhat, If he could not
be removed from the fort of the mountain
the mountain must be removed from him.
This seemed easy to usurpers, for the king
was az their mercy. with their armed guard
close around him. his INSCRIPTIONS father
twice prince regenD abetting them. -Four
separate and distinct attempts We're mads
in many weeks to do this.
In the Palace Enclosure.
The palace incl6sure, contains many acres
and a town of palace and apurtenant build
ings. The palaceaassigned for the residence
of his majesty asd the prince royal was in
each instance half nile or more distant
from General Dyes quarters. with an in
terminable numbercof walls and vexatiously
labarynthian strIeturss between, and no
suitable quarters, for the general near his
majesty which Was scrupu.ously looked
into in making the selections. Inc hmeri-
can minister. thesRussian minister and tie
British representative ALL in each instance.
came to the rescue when his majesty had
repeatedly signifed his 'lspleascre at the
10 which he waY 9eiag unhecess arly sub
jected. 50 ~
The uSlIrperS WERE for the moment
Completely com outdoEsg. TIE burnt remains of Of
the queen were in the hands of the usurp
ers and there had been talk of their lying
under a canopy in her old compound dur
ing the long period of mourning customary
in the case of the death of a crowned head.