Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-24
ADVISER TO
KOREA SHOT.
BY ORIENTAL
D. w. STEVENS WOUNDED IN
SAN FRANCISCO
OBJECT OF RAGE OF ANTI.JAP-
ANEsE ELEMENT
Prominent American Who Has Been
Counselor to Hermit Kingdom
Attacked and Seriously
Hurt

BY Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, March 23.--D. w.
Stevens, formerly counselor to the Jap
anese embassy at Washington but for
several years diplomatic adviser to the
Korean government at Seoul, was shot
| and seriously wounded this morning as
he was about to leave for Washington.
! The would.be murderer had his revolver
i concealed in a handkerchief.
Three shots were fired at Mr.. Stevens
from "a 32-caliber revolver by 1. w.
Chang, a diminutive Korean. The first
bullet missed the diplomat and acci-
dentaily struck and perhaps fatally
wounded M. w. Chun, one of the three
or four Koreans who were lying In wait
for Mr.. Stevens with the intention of
killing him, and who moment before
had struck him vicious blow in the
face.
The other two shots took effect in
| Mr.. Stevens back, one bullet striking
| him under the right shoulder blade near
the spinal column and the second a few
4 inches lower. While the wounds are
serious 1t is stated that the chances for
sMr. Stevens recovery are good
The attempted murder, which evil
IDENTIFY been well planned took
place at the ferry station at $3.50 o'clock
this morning. just as Mr.. Stevens, ac-
companied by Chozo Koike, the Jap
anese consul general, was about to take
the ferry connecting with the overland
train for the east, where he expected to
spend an extended vacation with his
sisters in Washington and in Atlantic
! City.
Koreans Enraged
The motive for the murderous attack
| apparently arises out of the resentment
of a small group of local Koreans to
the Japanese protectorate over Korea,
who sought to avenge their country for
! the important part played in the reor-
ganization of its government by Mr.
| Stevens.
Mr.. Stevens arrived from the orient
| last Friday on the Japanese steamer
! Nippon Maru. Last night he was at
tackled at the Fairmont hotel by dele
| CATION of four or five Koreans who had
called to see him with reference TO an
interview In which he had praised the
work of the. Japanese in Korea.
This morning as he and Consul Gem
eral Koike stepped from an automobile
bus at the ferry station three or four
Koreans were waiting for him. AS the
consul general stepped to the front of
| the bus to look after some baggage
one OF the Koreans, later identified as
| Chun, stepped up and struck Mr..
Stevens a vicious blow in the face. The
diplomatist Immediately started in pur-
i suit of his assailant, when Chang drew
| from his DOChtI Wlldl " oCNCAoi WI
! nesses appeared to be merely hand
kerchief, but who were quickly unde-
| ceiyed, as three shots in rapid success
sion came from 1t and directed at Mr.
| Stevens.
| The would-be murderer in the excite
ment of the moment apparently forgot
that one of his companions was in line
with the aim he was taking. The first
shot missed the diplomatist and brought
| Chun down with a bullet through the
right lung. The other two were better
directed and struck Mr.. Stevens.
| Consul General Koike Immediately
ran to the latter's assistance and helped
| him to an automobile, which rushed him
| to the harbor emergency hospital, only
| a block away.
! Dropping his revolver with the hand
kerchief still wrapped around 1t, Chang
and his third companion started TO
| flee. The other Korean escaped, but
the would be murderer was quickly sur
rounded by a mob of more than 800
persons and taken in charge by the
police.
Hopes of Recovery
! Chun, the wounded Korean, was
picked up by the police and also taken
| to the harbor hospital, where his
wounds and those of Mr.. Stevens were
temporarily dressed. The diplomatist
and the wounded Korean, upon whom
loaded revolver of a cheap pattern was
found, were then laid side by side in
| the same ambulance and hurried 10 the
central emergency hospital.
! After an examination the surgeons
! stated that there were no indications
that Mr.. Stevens lung had been pene-
trated or that the lower bullet had en-
tered the abdomen. They declared his
| chances for recovery to be good.
| In the afternoon Mr.. Stevens was re-
moved to the ST. Francis hospital.
| Chun the wounded Korean, is at the
| central emergency hospital and his re-
| covery is not expected He denied that
! he knew Chang and declared that Mr..
Stevens fired the shot which wounded
him. AS the latter was not armed and
| Chang's weapon showed that three
shots, were fired, which he admits, 1t
| Is evident that one of them struck the
| fleeing Korean.
Chang, who is an unusually diminu-
! tive type of the Korean race and about
as large as a 12-year-old boy, says he is
20 wears of age and has been in this
| country for two years, coming from
Hawaii He freely admits shooting Mr..
| Stevens.
"Yes, me shoot him. he said to the
Associated Press representative. Me
sorry? No. Him no good. Him help
| Japan. Bime-by Korea alice same
fJapan." He said he had read about Mr..
Stevens in the Japanese newspapers
! and had recognized him from a picture
published. The fact that the diplomat
ist had been praised by the japanese
press and had been granted a pension
by the mikado seemed to the Koreans
mind to be all the more evidence that
he had been disloyal to Korea
1t was learned this afternoon that
small band of Koreans had been on Mr..
Stevens trail ever since he arrived last
Friday.
Sought Out Victim
Inquiry was made at all the principal
hotels yesterday by them until they
located him at the Fairmont last night.
| Chang is in cell at the city prison.
No charge will he placed against him
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