The Monte Vista journal., 1899-08-05

Delh8 neld by only Few persons, ana
they usually relatives OF the king or
queen. The late minister to Washing
ton. Ye Pom Chin. is one OF the few
who hold the first rank. he having sue
cessfully secreted the queen at his
mountain retreat for some weeks and
emeute some fifteen years ago. when
her life was In great jeopardy: for she
was bounded by the kings unscrupu-
lous father from the time she became
the kings consort until her death. Ye
Pom Chin later. three years ago. effect
ed by virtue Of his position OF refugee
At the Russian legation. his majesty's
and the crown princes escape from the
clutches Of the -Corean
conspirators who. since their murder
OF the queen few months before, had
practically kept them In durance vile.
The military. besides especially
guarding the palace. also policed the
city. Gen. Dye making the precincts
and locating the troops. The arms
with which the troops were provided
were mostly from the United States,
including the Remington rife. Calling
guns. etc. The provincial troops gem
orally had hlnt lock or. AZ was mostly
the case. the slow. match and the prim-
Ing pan. These seemed to answer In
. country where the population are not
allowed to own arms. and are used sue
ccssfully even against the tiger.
After the invasion OF the country by
the japanese. especially In 1895. there
was = constant struggle lending with
the murder Of the queen) between the
japanese and the royal family for the
control Of the military In the palace.
who were the special guard Of the roy
al family. which the king claimed
should be under his direct orders.
whatever authority the Japanese might
choose to exercise over the troops To-
Gated elsewhere throughout the coun.
try. The Japanese. with q japanese
army In the capital city. had already
begun to reorxanixe. u Ia Japanese,
some Of the old army residing outside
the palace. for only 4 portion Of the
army. on any one day. stood guard
within the palace walls. Gen. Dye
stood by the royal family In this con-
test. He was. after the advent Of the
japanese. In July. 1884. permanently
Quartered quite near tho royal com
pound. In . granite and brick xtruc-
ture adjoining the library tsaId to be
the finest building In the pcuiusuia),
which annex was erected for the use
Of the queen or crown prince. Here
he was then the japanese and Corean
couspirators assaulted the palace and
murdered the queen In October. 1895.
after the japanese had disarmed all the
army. excepting . few men. who were
then ready to obey their b~hests. Il
was At great personal Inconvenience
and sscrince that. notwithstanding re.
pested threats and evcr-pressnt immi-
nent danger surrounding him. he stood
for wonths. and years even. loyalty by
the royal family. who seemed to rely
much upon him for their personal safe.
~ and the preservation Of their dynar-
". for II seemed 10 them. aa his maj
es,y said. that they lost nearly. II not
quite. all their CoreAn friends In their
sore hour Of need.
When the household minister. the
queen and others were being wunton-
~ murdered two attempts were made
BY the japanese and their Corean CO.
adjutors. With men under arms. 10
sorcibiy eject 0cn. Dye from the palace
Enclosure. ~ they had Just done In the
case Of the only other foreigner In the
palace on that sventfui morning. How.
ever. certain sigas and warniags from
Gen. Dye caused them to dsaist sor the
time bsins. when they found that they
might have 10 imbrue their hands with
the blood OF a. innoccnt foreigner.
Whoss oaly fault. In their sight. vas
standing loyalty By their sovsrsis, o.
royal host. Thsae efforts to separate
bin froa the royal family did not suA.
but coatiausd for months. during
which time hs vas practically . pris.
ossr with the king And crown prines.
TIE ns1t s3osts were II the form OF
bribery. rspsatsd attempts being made
u II BY the Do farto msinistsr Of war.
The palace incioaurs contains maay
acres sad . town of palaces and ap.
partenaat buiidinss. TIE palace a..
sisned for the rssidsnce Of Ais majesty
aad the princs royal was II soeh IN.
stance half nile or more distant from
0sn Dyes quarters. with % iatsruins.
be nunbsr of walls asd vsxasjossly
oAtySinthins structures betweso. ~