The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-10-30
NMes TTl lsslssnlTED.
-0naEAN SHOOTS HIM IN HARBIN
RAILROAD STATION.
1meUan Makes No Effort 10 EsNpe-
-. Boasts That He Had Avenged
NE Wrongs His Country Suffered
At Hands Of Japan.

As Hands Of Japan.
uzarbin. Oct. as.-Prince Hirobumi
-. former japanese president gen.
~sa1 of Korea and probably Japan's
vsrsmost statesman. was assassinated
- shs Tsaitsagan railway station here
sseay. At the moment the japanese
SDlomat was acknowledging tho
6sev welcome that had greeted him
- he stepped down from the coach
gDne he had occupied In the railroad
~sotn- Smiling and bowling. he turn
- 70 make his way toward the Rus
~na nnance minister. NJ. Kokovsoff.
~ho was awaiting him on the station
0nn<form . few PAGES distant. Sud-
oonly . half dozen revolver shots
0sa In quick succession were heard.
o0ewed by tho cries Of those stand
- near the prince who had either
Sesn wounded or imagined them
-ooavso to be. At the second report
Rsencs Ito staggered and fell faint
-. IL was subsequently, found that
- had received three bullets. two OF
~oich entered the abdomen. Prince
- did not regain consciousness and
~ 20 minutes later.
YAe fusilade .os shots threw the
&ewd into . panic. and II was some
<ns before II could be determined
O&s. beside the prince. had suffered.
Waeq the excitement had somewhat
onhslled II was found that three 9TH
- uembsrs OF the party on the plat
4sru Had been injured. Prince Ito's
Dsevsts secretary received q bullet. as
- japanese Consul General Kawa-
- And General Manager Tanka of
- south Manchurian railway. who
- been standing close to the prince
- ~ dring began. II ID thought that
nens three are not mortaily wounded.
1Ae perpetrator OF the outrage was
Nee hard 10 locate ~ ne stood denant-
y IN the crowd. revolver In hand. He
Orovsd to be- Korean. and, with two
es0panions Of the same nationality.
S~azted Of conspiracy to take the
- of the former president general of
IEeree In satisfaction for the alleged
OsaAny Of the prince over Koreans.
Al the police pounced upon the
rse Koreans the one who did the
oeotinG exclaimed dramatically: "I
~nme 20 Harbin for the sole purpose
- sssassinatins Prince Ito to avenge
~ country" s
None OF the three Koreans attempt
- 70 escape. The assassin later ad-
natted that he had a personal grudge
eUAinst the japanese statesman, who.
WAne president general In Korea, had
~nsssd the execution of several of his
Attends. ts
IL had been supposed that the po-
Isos protection for the prince was ade-
'ouate but the police stated later that
they were unable to distinguish the
Koreans among the many Japanese
Who had been admitted to the rail-
vsy station to welcome the prince.
1he Russian police stated that the
Sapanese consul general. Kawanakan.
had authorized them to permit en-
trance to the station OF all Japanese
who sought admission.
Very soon after death the body of
frtncc Ito was made ready for re-
o0vnl home and placed upon a rail-
rad train. The casket was covered
With flowers and In other ways the
ssrrow OF the official and public life
mas manifested.
Prince Ito had come to Harbin to
u.sst M. Kokovsoff. the Russian min
eesr OF finance. for what was believed
% be an important conference. The
oenference was suggested by Prince
st0 In his capacity as president of the
Uuvy council of Japan. The subjects
% be discussed were not definitely
Known to the public but they were
supposed to concern affairs of admin
estration In Manchuria. Kokovsofr
lad before declined an invitation to
visit Japan for such conference, and
Hsrbin was agreed upon as a meeting
place. In accepting the Invitation the
'Russian minister said that political
questions must be barred. as he was
cempetent only to discuss financial
snd technical subjects. those concern
ssS the status OF the Manchurian rail-
read. The conference had been an
~oanced widely In advance and 1t was
generally known when the diplomats
would reach Harbin.