The Palace after the Murder--Panic--Attitude of Foreign
Legations--The King’s Life in Hourly Danger--Noble
Refugees--Americans on Guard--Mistakes of the New
Government--Objectionable Sumptuary Laws--A Plan to Rescue the
King--One Night at the Palace--Forcing an Entrance--Our Little
Drama--Escape of General Yun.
In the meantime the king and crown prince were held prisoners in their
own palace by a cabinet composed of Koreans who were favorable to the
Japanese government. Immediately after the death of the queen, before
the soldiers and assassins had dispersed, the Japanese minister had
come to the palace and requested an audience. According to the official
report, Count Miura, with his secretary, Mr. Sugimma,[3] the Tai Won
Kun, and a Japanese, who had led the _soshi_, were all present at
this audience, and presented three papers to the king for signature,
one being that the cabinet should henceforth manage the affairs of
the country, one that Prince Yi Chai Miun should be minister of the
royal household, and the other appointing a vice-minister of the
household. The king shaken by the events of the night, and helpless in
the hands of his enemies, signed all three. Then the Japanese troops
were withdrawn, and the _Kurentai_ alone left on guard. Soon after the
ministers of war and police departments were changed for pro-Japanese,
“so that all the armed forces of the government, and even the personal
attendants of his majesty” were under the control of the opponents of
the royal person and family.
[3] See “Korean Repository” official account of the murder of the queen.
Mr. Waeber, the Russian minister, and Dr. Allen, Chargé d’Affaires of
the United States, having heard the firing, arrived at the palace,
while the Japanese minister was still there, and were made acquainted
by the king to some extent concerning the occurrences which had just
taken place. The poor king was in a state of shock amounting to almost
complete prostration, which was pitiable to behold, after the awful
experiences of the night and the brutal murder of his idolized queen.
The friends and connections of the royal family, officials, soldiers,
servants and hangers on about the palace, of whom there were several
thousands, were all in the wildest panic. Every one was rushing in
mad haste to escape from the confines of the palace grounds, and
uniforms or anything that could distinguish men as belonging to the
court were recklessly torn off and thrown away. The American, Russian
and English legations were thronged with people, anxious for shelter
from the hands of those who composed the band of Korean traitors. The
foreign representatives felt and showed much indignation over the cruel
assassination of her majesty and sympathy for the king.
For some time they visited the palace every day. As they refused to
recognize the rebel government, they probably felt obliged to see his
majesty personally, in order to know his wishes and policy, and it is
also most likely that, feeling much uncertainty as to the intentions of
the persons in whose hands the king was, they wished to keep themselves
informed, and perhaps to keep in check any plans of violence toward the
remaining members of the royal family. Mr. Underwood was requested to
accompany the United States minister as interpreter, while the French
bishop acted in the same capacity for the representative of France,
since none of the native interpreters could be trusted under such
circumstances.
And right here I would stop to ask, why is it that in matters of such
extreme importance as the affairs of state between our own government
and Eastern nations, there have been up to this time no trained
American interpreters, and our highest officials are obliged to depend
upon the more than doubtful native interpreters, who even when not
wilfully for their own purposes, or through their own cowardice,
misrepresenting communications of the greatest importance, may through
incapability entirely misconceive the idea to be expressed, or through
carelessness omit the most significant part of the whole sentence?
The king was to be seen only under the strictest surveillance of the
cabinet, and apparently was under extreme coercion, so that he did not
consider it expedient to say anything contrary to their orders and
policy. On rare occasions, when their attention was called for a few
moments by some of the visiting party, his majesty contrived to convey
to Mr. Underwood a whispered message, a sign, a tiny note slipped in
his palm, by which he briefly communicated his desires, or plans, or
his real replies to questions which had already been answered publicly
in accordance with the views of his enemies. As the king stood in
hourly fear of poison, and not without reason, since his unscrupulous
and unnatural father, the Tai Won Kun, was most desirous to replace
him by his grandson, through another son, and as so many of the
conspirators surrounding the king had now so much at stake, were in so
dangerous a position, and were men who had already proved they would
stop at nothing where their own interest was concerned, he would take
no food for some time but condensed milk brought in sealed cans and
opened in his presence, or eggs cooked in the shells. Hearing of this,
and glad to take advantage of an opportunity however small to show our
sympathy, the ladies from one of the European legations and myself
alternated in sending specially prepared dishes, such articles as
contained the greatest amount of nourishment, as well as of agreeable
taste.
They were sent in a tin box, provided with a Yale lock. Mr. Underwood,
who was now going as interpreter and messenger between the legations
and palace, sometimes twice a day, carried the key, and placed it in
the king’s own hand, while the box was carried in at any convenient
time by the ordinary officials. It was only a small service, but it was
to some extent a relief to be allowed to do anything for those who had
a claim upon our loyalty, and who had been so shockingly outraged.
One day as Mr. Underwood was going in to his majesty he met the old
Tai Won Kun, who said, “Why do you take all that good food in to him?
He doesn’t need it. I am old, my teeth are gone, I need it far more
than he.” The crafty and cruel old human tiger’s teeth and claws were
still only too serviceable, alas! For a long time after the death of
the queen, nearly seven weeks, Americans, one or two at a time, were
asked to be at the palace every night, as it was thought that with
foreigners there as witnesses, the conspirators, whoever they might
be, would hesitate to commit any further outrages. There is little
doubt that had they thought it necessary to commit regicide, the lives
of the witnesses would have been sacrificed as well, but Easterners
stand in considerable fear of the wrath of the Western nations, when
their citizens are killed, and no doubt the chances of violence to
his majesty and the crown prince were somewhat diminished by the
presence of the missionaries, who night after night, two and two,
left the congenial task of preaching the gospel of peace to insure the
continuance of it (or that small fraction which at that time was left
to poor Korea).
We wives at home, keeping lonely vigil, while our husbands sentineled
the palace, listened with sharpened ears for sounds of ill-omen from
that direction. But both they and we were glad of this service,
rejoicing to prove that we were the friends of the people and the
rightful ruler, from highest to lowest, and we were specially glad
that those who had been called disloyal, because they refused to obey
the decree which forbade preaching the gospel, were now able to show
themselves the most active and unwearied in serving the king.
The day after the assassination, the king’s second son, Prince Oui-wha,
sent to ask refuge in our house, where, this being American property,
he would be safe from arrest. The legations were all full of refugees
of high rank, and several were staying in our Korean _sarang_ or guest
room. We were, of course, delighted to receive the young prince, and
also to have this further opportunity to prove our regard for him. In
consequence of the presence of these refugees we were honored by being
kept under continual espionage by the pseudo-government, our compound
constantly watched by spies at all exits, by day and night. It seemed
monstrous to me, who had never known any of the class whose movements
are watched by detectives, nor ever dreamed of coming in any way
into collision with any government (much less of being of sufficient
importance to do so), but perhaps it was the spirit of revolutionary
forefathers which made me believe, that if governments were wrong,
right-minded people must oppose them, and that if sheltering the
friends of the just and lawful ruler from a company of conspirators
and traitors was standing in an attitude of hostility to the powers
that be, it was both right and our unavoidable duty to do what we could
to shield them from violence and death.
In the meanwhile the new government was appointing new officials,
trying, torturing and executing innocent people as the accused
murderers of the queen, in order to shield themselves--useless crimes
which deceived no one--making a number of new offices and placing
Japanese in them on large salaries, and making new and farcical,
as well as injurious and objectionable, laws. Women were not to be
allowed to go on the street with covered faces, pipes must be of a
certain length, sleeves must be shortened and narrowed, coats must
be of a particular color, and hat brims a certain width. This was
called “Kaiwha” or reform. Large numbers of Japanese flocked to this
country and made their way to the capital or into the interior, in the
industrious pursuit of wealth, which we were informed was not always
limited to legitimate measures, or the possession of sinecures.
Missionaries returning from the interior reported that they had heard
lamentable tales on all hands, of farmers strung up by the thumbs,
for the extortion of money or deeds of lands and of women dealt with
brutally. The poor country people were like sheep in the midst of
wolves, their shepherd gone, their fold broken down.
One of the measures taken by the pro-Japanese government, which excited
great feeling and probably did more than anything else to arouse
protest, because so cruelly calculated to wound the desolate and
stricken king, was a decree sent through the whole land in the king’s
name declaring the queen a wicked woman and degrading her to the lowest
rank. This they asked the king to sign and seal, but shaken as he was,
he absolutely refused so to insult his dead consort, and the cabinet
were obliged to forge his signature, and seal the paper themselves.
This act bore the stamp of the Tai Won Kun, whose insatiable hate was
not satisfied with the murder of the queen, but followed her with
insults to the grave.
In the midst of these days of confusion and excitement, the loyalist
party, or at least some of them, made an attempt to rescue the king.
This all his friends ardently desired, but it was very difficult to
accomplish, as his majesty was surrounded constantly by spies and
guards, whose interest as well as whose business it was to keep him
under the strictest surveillance.
Numbers of Koreans came to my husband with various schemes for the
accomplishment of the king’s release, seeking his advice and aid, but
while he was very willing to express his sympathy with their object and
his disapproval of the rebel government, he did not consent to any part
in any of their projects, partly because he did not know whom to trust,
and partly because none were such as he, a missionary, could take part
in or support. I do not doubt, however, that if he could have seen a
way to do so, he would gladly have sacrificed much to have assisted the
king to escape to a place of safety, where he could establish his own
government without fear of the combinations formed against him.
The plans of the rescue party were made very secretly, so that none
of the missionaries at least knew anything of them, though two of the
leaders, General Yun and another, were in our house till a late hour
the previous night, and perhaps to this fact was due the conviction
which a number of people entertained that my husband was concerned
in the loyal but unfortunate plot. The enemies of the king, however,
got wind of the plans of his friends, and through spies and treachery
ferreted it all out, and prepared themselves fully. One of the
traitors, an army officer, who pretended to be ready to open the gates
and assist the rescue party from within, really disclosed everything to
the false cabinet, and was prepared with troops to receive and repel
the loyalists. On the evening set for the rescue of the king, just
before my husband’s return from the palace, where he had been all the
afternoon, he found Dr. Avison, of our mission, here at his home, with
news that the Koreans were preparing to attack the palace that very
night, as he had just learned from one of the party. Mr. Underwood
was hardly willing to credit the idea, sure that all his feelings
and sympathies were so well understood, he would have been informed
had this been the case; but while Dr. Avison was still in the house,
the secretary of the American legation called, at the request of the
American minister, to say that they had authoritative information of
the same thing, and as the king would no doubt be much alarmed, and
would be in great danger from the traitors, should the attack succeed,
the American minister asked that Mr. Underwood would spend the night
near the king’s person.
As the gate would probably be closed and admittance refused to every
one, the minister had sent his card for Mr. Underwood to present in
order to gain admission. It was of course understood that this was
only a suggestion, and that Mr. Underwood was perfectly at liberty
to refuse, but he was really glad to go, and felt honored in being
selected for this service, so he at once consented, and asked Mr.
Hulbert, now of the government school, to accompany him. Dr. Avison
having been called for professionally, also joined them, and the three
men met at the palace gates, where the guard at once refused to admit
them, positive orders having been sent forbidding the entrance of any
one. Our minister’s card was shown to no apparent effect, except that
the officer on guard offered to go up to the palace with it and obtain
permission. This Mr. Underwood knew would be futile, for the cabinet
would almost certainly refuse, so he replied, “No, I must be admitted
at once and without delay, I came at the request of the United States
minister, and if you choose to refuse his card, and his messenger, you
must take the responsibility; I shall return at once and give him your
reply.” As an officer had been severely punished only a few days before
for refusing entrance to a foreign diplomat, who had left the palace
gates in awful wrath, the men now on guard hesitated. “Decide, and at
once,” said Mr. Underwood sternly. This conquered, and the Americans
hurried in. They went directly to the king, and making known that they
had come for the night, asked his wishes, and were requested to wait in
General Dye’s rooms, close at hand, to be ready on the first alarm to
take their places near his person.
The _three guardsmen_ then repaired to the general’s room to await
developments, where Mr. Underwood had some conversation with General
Dye, and the traitorous Korean officer, who even then suspecting that
Mr. Underwood had some part in the friendly plot, tried to entrap him
and to induce him to betray himself and the others. But as my husband
knew nothing of the persons engaged, or any of their plans, and was
himself quite innocent of any complicity in their scheme, it was
impossible for any information to be elicited from him. Suddenly at
twelve o’clock the report of a gun was heard, springing up, he ran to
the king’s apartments, followed closely by the other two. A line of
soldiers was drawn up, standing shoulder to shoulder along the path,
who called “Halt,” sharply, as he approached; paying no attention
he ran swiftly past them, and before they had time to realize, or
to decide what to do, Dr. Avison and Mr. Hulbert had followed. At
the door just beyond stood a couple of officers with drawn swords
crossed. Mr. Underwood struck the swords up with his revolver and
rushed through, the other two men entering immediately behind him, just
as they heard the king calling, “Where are the foreigners, call the
foreigners.” “Here, your majesty. Here we are,” replied the three men,
entering the room, where the king grasped them by the hand, and kept
them on either side of him the whole night.
As for the poor half-armed party of the king’s friends, they were
allowed to proceed until well within the prepared ambush, and when they
discovered the trap, it was almost impossible to escape. Many were
captured, some killed, the rest fled in all directions. This of course
seated more firmly in power the rebels whose position had till now been
more than questionable. Many arrests were made, and executions and the
severest punishments meted out to those who were convicted of having
dared to attempt the restoration of the king.
While Mr. Underwood was at the palace we were having our own little
drama at home. A new missionary, a tall Westerner, had undertaken the
protection of the household, and armed with a big six-shooter, we
doubted not, he was more than equal to any ordinary emergency. Our
chief source of anxiety (as far as our home was concerned) was the
safety of the prince, who with one attendant only, occupied a room in
an ell at the further end of the house, distant from our apartments.
What if when all attention was concentrated upon the palace, he should
be carried away or murdered in our home, by the enemies of the country!
We felt we were a lamentably small party of defense, still we hoped our
nervous fears were groundless.
Just as we were about to retire, however, at about ten thirty, a
sharp rap came at the door of our missionary guest’s room, which
opened to the garden. This was evidently some stranger, as any of our
acquaintances would have come to the main entrance. I was called at
once, with the added information that a Japanese officer was waiting to
see me!
I found a fully armed Japanese in uniform, who asked for the prince.
My suspicions were of course aroused, especially as I could only
conjecture how many battalions he might have concealed around the
corner of the house. I inquired who he was and why he came at that
hour to see the prince. He replied in good Korean, that he was his
particular friend, and gave me a name which was that of a Korean whom I
knew to be a friend of our guest, adding that he had dined at our house
that day, handing me a card engraved with Chinese characters. This was
palpably false, as the friend of the prince had long hair, done in a
top-knot, with a Korean hat above it, this man’s hair was cut short
like a Japanese. The Korean wore white silk garments, this man was from
head to foot a Japanese soldier.
“This card is Chinese, I cannot read it,” I replied coldly. “You are
a Japanese officer whom I have never seen before, you cannot see the
prince at this hour, you must go away and return in the morning if
you have business with him.” The man, however, was very insistent
on seeing the prince then, in fact he seemed determined to take no
denials, and the more he persisted, the more I became convinced that
once acquainted with the prince’s whereabouts in our house, he would
call up his concealed assassins and arrest or kill him. With the
strengthening of suspicion, my temper rose, and my verbs took on lower
and lower endings, until I finally ordered him with the most degrading
terminations in the grammar, to leave on short order. All through
this conversation our Westerner, who understood no Korean, had been
repeating at intervals, “Shall I shoot, Mrs. Underwood? If you say so,
I’ll shoot,” brandishing his big revolver in an excited way, dangerous
to all concerned. So at last our visitor considering his attempt to
find the prince hopeless, reluctantly went away. We felt we had won a
great victory, and covered ourselves with glory, in thus dispersing the
enemy.
In the meanwhile the prince, whose door opened also in the garden,
just opposite the one where we stood, heard the arrival, the long
conference, the clash of a sword against the steps, and stood guarding
his chamber door, while his attendant with drawn sword guarded that
of the closet, which happening to be locked they supposed also opened
on the garden. Next morning, when I showed the prince the card, he
recognized with high glee the name of his Korean friend, and shortly
afterwards the individual himself appeared. He had for purposes of
disguise cut his hair that very day, and had donned garments which
completely changed his appearance. It was owing to the success of this
disguise that he had been ordered from our door with most injurious
verb endings. I did not apologize very abjectly, however, for aside
from the fright he had put me in, he had robbed me of all my glory, and
the occasion of all its romance, and dropped it to the level of low
comedy, and while the laughter of the family was ringing in my ears, I
felt I could not forgive him.
The morning after the attack on the palace found General Yun, the
leader and promoter, in our sarang, whither he had fled for shelter,
well knowing it would be worse than useless to go to his own, or any
Korean house. He inquired who had been captured, and on learning how
many there were, remarked, “Then I am a dead man,” well knowing the
most merciless torture would be used to extract from the prisoners
the names of all concerned, and if his whereabouts were known, the
American minister would be compelled to give search warrants to the
police. He was an old friend of my husband, who promised to conceal him
as long as possible, and get him out of the country soon. The Russian
minister, who espoused the king’s cause as warmly as any of us, and
who had refused to recognize the new government, was consulted, and
a plan was formed to get General Yun to China. Next to our house lay
that of another Presbyterian missionary, and adjoining that the Russian
legation, just beyond which is a kind of diplomatic club-house, and
only a few steps further one of the smaller city gates.
So Mr. Yun was lodged in the Rev. Mr. M----’s gate-quarters (between
his house and ours), and that night Mr. Underwood shaved and dressed
the general and his friend in Mr. M----’s and his own clothes, a fur
cap well drawn down concealed his face. Mr. Underwood conducted the two
men thus disguised through the Russian legation, the club grounds and
then through the gates, where they were never suspected to be other
than what they looked. A short distance beyond the gates chairs were in
waiting. Mr. M---- and a Bible Society agent met them and escorted them
to Chemulpo, where they were met by a guard from a Russian gunboat, on
which they were conveyed to Chefoo, and there transhipped, and finally
landed safe in Shanghai, where they were gladly received and hospitably
entertained in the house of a M. E. missionary, until the king was
restored to power.
Mr. Underwood was bitterly accused in Japanese newspapers of having
promoted, and even led the harmless attack on the palace, and though as
he was not only absolutely innocent, but ignorant of it, and not one
particle of evidence could be found, he was obliged to endure a great
deal of slander, which he would not have considered worth a second
thought had it not been made to reflect on his profession and the cause
he lives only to forward. The two facts that General Yun was at our
house the night before, and that Mr. Underwood, at the request of our
minister and the king, was at the palace on the eventful night, were
used to give a show of probability to stories widely circulated, and
allowed to remain uncontradicted by those who knew the facts.
The conspirators having defeated the restoration party, now carried
things with a high hand indeed, and among the other obnoxious and
tyrannical sumptuary laws, which they proclaimed as furthering
“Kaiwha,” they ordered the summary removal of all top-knots, from
the palace to the hovel, and it was reported that even the highest
personages were compelled, in spite of useless protests, to undergo
this humiliating treatment, and certain it is that the attempt was made
to shear every sheep in the flock. The explanation of what this meant
must be reserved for another chapter.
[Illustration: A KOREAN TOP-KNOT. PAGE 167]