The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-06-14
JAP PANESE ADMIT
BURNING HOUSES
OF THE KOREANS
CHRISTIANS SUFFER OtTKAuES
AT HANDS OF JAP SOLDlEhS;
CHURCHES DESTROYED

| io.-(Correspondence of the AS
sociated Press).-Thirtyfi Koreans
were shot or killed with SWORDS OF
bavonets \ by Japanese soldiers III
Christian church building at Cheahh
no forty miles from Seoul in connection
with the Korean independence move
ment.
This has been confirmed by an IN
vestigation by British and American
consular agents and by missionary
leaders, in Korea. The facts are ao
mitted by the japanese authorities at
Seoul including the Governor GelleraI
ilasegawa The authorities say that
they deplore the outrage, that those
guilty of it have been punished anu
that orders have been given to prevent
a recurrence.
Investigators also have found that
Soochung, another village near Cheaih-
nj was burned by the japanese anu
that several Koreans there were
wounded in an attack by japanese
soldiers who shot them or used theT
swords and bayonets on them as they
fled from their burning homes after the
troops had set fire to the buildings.
Reports have been received OF the
burning of Christian churches in three
other villages and Koreans told the
Associated Press correspondent at
Seoul that they could show him nine
villages which had been burned by the
japanese.
Details of the massacre at Cheam-ni
were obtained by the Associated Press
correspondent who visited that place
in company with Raymond ). Cuftlce'
the America vice-consul at Seoul ana
Mr.. Underwood an American mission
ary. Subsequently the correspondent
again visited the place with Mr.. Royds
the British consul and several mis-
sionaries including including the Rev.
Heron Smith, who is in charge OF the
work of the Methodist church in 10
rea. Describing his visit to Cheam-ni,
the Seoul correspondent writes that
when they asked residents of nearby
villages why that hamlet had been
burned they were told that it was be
cause there was a Christian church
and many native Christians in the viii
lage.
Smoking Ruins
when we got to the place which
had been a village of about 40 houses
we found only four or five standing,
al 1.-The rest were smoking ruins" he
continued 1--WE found a body fright
fully burned and twisted lying in a
compound and another either of
young man or woman just outside the
church compounded. Several groups OF
people were huddled under little straw
shelters on the hillside with a few of
their pitiful belongings about them.
They were mostly women. some old,
others SounE mothers with babies but
all sunk in the duh apathy of abject
misery and despair. Mr.. Underwood
an American missionary who talked
to them in their own language brought
the story of what had happened.
THE day before we arrived soldiers
came to the village and ordered all the
male Christians TO gather at the
church. When about so We're in the
church the soldiers opened fire on them
with rifles and then entered the church
and finished them off with swords and
bayonets. After this they set fire to
the church and to houses which other
wise would not have been burned"
One Korean told the correspondent
he was alive because he was not a
Christian and was not in the church. |
Lates when the correspondent |
made a second trip to Cheam-ni. with |
Mr. Royds, the British consul and a |
party of seven including several mis- ]