| Show 1 fy ay iy ra a 1 JAPAN IN KOREA the queen ot korea was a clever and ambitious woman who stood be aind the throne and directed the pol acy ot the country being a coasin of the old imperial family ot china her tendencies were entirely antl Japa says the nineteenth century and after accordingly a conspiracy was set afoot for her destruction popular rumor suggested her diplomatic enemies as bearing a hand in any case during october 1895 the palace was attacked the king impounded and the queen murdered in circumstances of brutality unbar alleged even in the history of japan so prolific in instances of callous cruelty some of the rival nations were said to been seen among the murderers one even was pointed out as having struck the first blow suspicion was supposed to hint at the names of some in high places meanwhile the king was virtually a close prisoner in the hands of the ja who however attempted to appease popular rumor by recalling their minister and opening an inquiry into the manner of the queen s death this was finally decided to have been accidental and the minister Is said to have been reprimanded W th the ting fast in their hands the influence of the japanese became paramount but at last one of the ladies of the royal harem contrived to smuggle out the king in her own sedan to the russian legation where he proceeded to a prompt reversal of his forced policy from that day dates the destruction of japanese influence in korea II 11 they ever rold the country it will be in the chains of conquest not in the bands of lo 10 alty the scanty relics ol 01 the queen had been since translated from tomb to tomb of increasing holl ness according to the korean rite by which the place of sepulture depends upon the verdict of the augurs as to its auspiciousness and is liable to ba changed as often as the priestly ion alters or it Is set aside by a fresh conclave of clerics replacing the former disgraced and executed now she is on the eve of removal to yet a third mausoleum of peculiar and inviolable sanctity where hei poor skull and finger bone will be laid to their last rest among the treas ures of porcelain which the koreans bury with the remains of their kings and queens As for the lady who rescued the king the as he Is now styled the nat step in her career will be her elevation to the rank of em press consort of korea |
