CHAPTER X
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 Then the Japanese troops were withdrawn, and the Kurentai alone left on guard.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.
A KOREAN TOP-KNOT. [PAGE 167]