The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1912-07-04
in Large Nunbers.on, Charge
of Plotting against the
Government.

- y y tT 49, - IN
SEOUL, Korea, June 29.-The1
oase Of the KOREANS charged wfth.
plOtt:ng against the government, and.
tilcg life OF the Goyernor-General is
to2come up for hearing shortly. The
evidence IN The hundsgof the public
prosecutor is understood to be vol
luminous. In all 1903 persons are held.
The interesting Feature of these
/ arrests is that nearly all Cd the ac-
cused are protesting Christians This
has caused much comment, and the
Accusations has been made that the
Japanese government was directing
campaign especially against Chris
tan's because OF uneaslness lest the
influence OF the church might be-
come unpleasan.ly powerful in Jap
ans new possession. Il.
The officials OF Korea, Including the
! Governor-General, express Sqrprise
al the attitude taken by a, number
| Of this leading missionaries. The Gov
ernrr-General, Count Terauciri, him
self has said that there did not exist
i in the official mind the faintest sus-
! pirion Of any completely or fore
knowledge ON the part of the mis-
slodiary body in connection with this
plet. lie declared that 1t was the
desire of the governments to cooperate
heartily with the missions, and said.
/. ! and my successor will always live
up to the promises and the program
laid down when Japan first assumed
the control and government of Korea.
Tie Instructions OF the emperor are
that religion and politics must be
kept apart In other words the state
and church form two different
branc'hea Bouh. however, tend to
the same goal, which rs the bet6er-
ment- of the people, and both must
cooperate"
General Akashi,, ,the. chief Of the
police, said that the evidence of a
pot was, he believed, conclusive, but
the great difficulty was to secure
truthful statements from the Koreans
concerned. These were; mostly young
men with advanced ideas stlldents.-
and he admitted most OF them were
i.students dn the mission, schools. He
Sid that in the last. large numbers
Of Koreans had protested Christianity
in order to secure the protection and
the assistance of the foreign mfssion-
aries against the abuses and rinjus-
j tees Of the Koread government
After the Japanese had annexed
Korea, there existed large element
of discomfort, And because Of the
sympathy felt by the missionaries for
his Korean scholars, or so-called
converts, these latter believed that
I the missionaries would support them
/ even though they might plot sedHtlon
, General Akasht who had been ac.
chsed Of much ihaTshnass i'm dealing
with this case, said that 1le did not
lbelieVe statements made by prisoners
Who asserted that the missionaries
had actually attended meetings where
this conspiracy was discussed.
The prisoners are all confined in. a
Jail IN the center OF Seoul, where
some 400 other prisoners are con.
fined. The prison dis crowded, The
prisoners sit closely together ant
occupy each Just sufficient space tc
enable them to lie down. However
the Korean in his own home Lives
and moves in small space. The cells
are clean and thoroughly well ven.
tiiated. The prisoners all appear &c
te cleanly clothed and to be in good
theafth One or two of the better