The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-04-16
TELL AMERICA OF IT
The Korean Revelation win Be
Told of in Reports.

Correspondence of the Associated Press-)
Shanghai, April 15.-The Korean in
surrection, announced as a passive
revolution against japanese rule, will
be brought to the attention of the
American government in a series of
graphically written reports. One of
these has just been read by. cor
respondent of the Associated Press. 1t
was written by an American, and re-
cites the sensational events from
March 1, when the revolt began. un-
til March is. when the report was
started on its way to the American,
minister at Picking. According to this
story, the Koreans. who sought pub
licly to demonstrate their demands for
Independence, were violently treated.
scores being killed and hundreds in
jured. The report summarizes these
features of the insurrection as fol-
lows:
The revolution began Saturday
afternoon. March 1, in many large
cities in Korea, and spread Ike wild
fire to the country. 1t was well
planned, the plotters representing all
classes.
A proclamation of independence
signed by thirty-three men had previ-
ously been issued. Twenty-nine of
these men gathered in Seul on Feb
ruary %, and after the meeting where
the proclamation was read, met at a
dinner party. Later they telephoned
to the police that they were ready to
go to Jail, whereupon the authorities
took them to prison.
Erred On No Foreigners.
"In Seul and Pyeng Yang and other
cities, where foreigners resided, the
military Nabstained from firing on the
crowds, but in the rural districts vio-
lence of the most terrible description
has been practiced. Unresisting
crowds have been fired upon, scores
of persons killed and hundreds
wounded. Churches have been
wrecked, private homes entered and
young men and school girls in particu-
lar dragged off to prison, where most
of them have been fIogged and a few
held for trial.
Here in Pyeng Yang, where the
treatment of the people has been much
milder than in the country, I have
personally witnessed or heard directly
from witnesses, of SO many terrible
scenes that can hardly bear to write
of them.
Five theological seminary students,
men who had just arrived in Pyeng
Yang that morning, while quietly rest
ing in their rooms, were taken to the
police station and, altho protesting
their innocence of plotting against the
government, were given stwenty-nine
Dragged Girls by Hair.
1.-TWO girls were dragged by the
hair from a house near the mission
hospital, tied to a telegraph post by
their hair, horribly. beaten by depu-
| tized firemen and then led off to jail.
One man IS years old was caught
| by the soldiers and beaten and kicked
| until he could not walk. Then he was
dragged off to jail. Before he had
gone 400 yards another squad of sol
! dierss repeated the performance, and
i at the Jail, where the punishment was
continued, the victim collapsed and
was sent home in a 1ricksha.'
while the crowds were parading
the streets the police and soldiers ran
Eth eirsweapons deliberately. INTO unre-
/ sisting bystanders because they hap
pened to be in the way.
Firemen Killed One Man.
an front OF the projects office, one
| defenseless Korean was run down and
killed by two firemen armed with
| pixies. The corpse was dragged along
| the ground and away by the s1ayers.
Old men, women and children have
been indiscriminately abused, beaten,
| cut down with swords. struck by fire.
| men armed with pixies, officially
| flogged at the police station, pierced
sisted the military. The passive revolt
| has been true to its name here.
Because we foreigners have seen
all, we are not only persona non grata
| to the japanese but in real danger of
| our lives. 1t is reported that hired
thugs are wandering about the city at
| night to waylay whom they may. The
| foreigners may be attacked and in
| jured or killed by these men. If they
| are. the government will promptly dis
avow the acts but the Objectionable in
dividuals will nevertheless be out of
the way. It is becoming increasingly
questionable whether we foreigners
can remain here during the continu-
ance of the trouble"