New-York tribune., 1900-07-15
TORTURE OF CoREAN REFUGEES.
JAPAN DEMANDS AN EXPLANATION FROM
THE SEOUL GOVERNMENT

The world is shocked by the reports which
fltering through the wall of silence Of the great
tragedy of Picking 1t is only a short time ago
that foretaste of such methods was furnished
IN Corea
In fact. the recent torture and execution of the
Corean refugees An Ken Su and Kwon Yung Ching.
form prelude to these further atrocities, which,
though unnoticed in the Occdent, profoundly stirs
the japanese. The telegraph lines kept busy
sending messages from Seoul Japan from May
26 TO June ! These dispatches were Of absorbing
interest to the Japanese Government for they
confirmed the reports Of the treachery Of the Co
reans.
Advices just received from Japan say:
Several years ago An and Kwon were charged
with completely ii the murder OF the queen; they
po1ca Suspects Or those G odds With With the Co4eans
in power, and lived in peace under the Mikado's
But the emissaries of their political enemies. in
" 6ded their time to- a9sSsat@ as I item i1 Eve9t
ally An ana kwon We're obliged to deny them.
The Corean Government at last guaranteed that
It's subjects An and Kwon. might return to their
families and properties without fear Of molesta-
ton IL, l. Tas only upon s99h solemn ggaGantes "a
toTeaA rebusfe5. 1o1ceive men OF the sensa-
reans had more landed when they appre-
hended. tortured and executed without so much
The japanese Minister demanded an explana-
Coreans replied that whatever had occurred had
been done. without official orders. The japanese
bodies of the refugees should be permitted as he
cqted but had been tortured arst.
The CoTean Minister OF koTeign Affairs replied
bodies IL was not necessary; further that the doc
q yellow mark on the throat Of one corpse The
japanese representative persisted in his demand
and at last the night Of the 3lst he was per-
mitted 10 send two military surgeons the prison
Doctors Kotake and ok found no marks On the
body Of Kwen, but they were horror stricken after
telltale marks the shoulders ribs and back, and
It appeared that the arms had been dislocated The
dent by the marks that the wretched man had been
tightly bound, and that redhot irons had been ap-
piled 70 him in the most fendish manner.
Blood had been flowing from his mouth and nose
many small hempen cords. Other marks showed
that indescrbable atrocities had been practised
The japanese surgeons made their report TO the
~ go, , ] ne ,,a',15 o. ~ oTar atFr %
animation Of the bodies in the presence Of Jap
anese and foreign doctors. He also said that if
this demand was refused, his Government would
act on the assumption that these acts Of barDarjy
had been perpetrated with the tacit knowledge Of
the Corean Government.
announced his intention Of not granting an audi
ence even 10 the japanese Minister
The Japanese Minister can do nothing further
until he receives instructions from the japanese
The Corean Court. in order to evade the RESPONSE
biItE OF its ofeaeh OF Ia5ia mas anaouhceq m taat
tiCn take place has been sentenced to ten years
transportation, and that other judges and officials
concerned in the affair are temporarily suspended.
The japanese are inclined to regard these tenn
porizing measures with suspicion. and propose that
the Corean Government shall bear the responsible
fly in this matter.
In regard TO the execution of An and Kwon It
Is said that kWon completely overcome by the
uneXpeetedness OF the sentence. and broke down
10 such a degree that he was more dead than alive
when executed An, however, pronounced indig-
uanty against the cruelty OF his death sentence.
lie shouted out that it was murder and not jus
rice. In order 10 make him tell the names or sup
posed accOmpces he was subjected to torture, his
hands were broken and his bones crushed. but
throughout he declared his innocence. and the
lie was subjected TO renewed toriuTes. but even
IN his exhausted condition he resisted the officers
who came drag him 70 the scafold. Finally he
was overDoWered by "A posse OF policemen Until
his head was placed IN the moose ne continued his
protestatons against the injustice Of his socaled
trial
II is said that three times the rope broke with
the weight of his large body, and the officers all
the while were trying TO get confessions Of sup
posed accompces.
Eventually re hanged, to the last protesting
his complete innocence. Carean mob gathered
al the prison obtain the bodies, in order that
they might mutate them and expose them upon
street
But II is said that the Emperor has prohibited
this custom and that the bodies remained in the
prison.
News" says that he met and talked with KWon
Yung Chin q steamer he was on his way
There were in the saloon two first class Japa-
nese passengers: We left at o'clock. and at
met round a table four Of US in all the skipper
captain spoke little COrean. and with him con
VeFsed but the other two passengers were silent
one dressed a foreigner; the other. in silke
kimono and Japanse slippers, seemed a refined and
modest gentleman. with intelligent expression
stamped on face rather badly SCARED by small
pOK- Next morning as / sat IN the saloon looking
over some views that happened 10 be there, this
gentleman in silk glided in ani sat opposite me