Korean independence outbreak beginning March 1st 1919

([S.l. :  s.n.,  1920?])

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bo^hchuroh and school-house. It is a large church, and all the panes in
some dozen or more double windows were smashed in, except six panes. All
the Bibles, hymn books, church and Sunday school rolls, and all the school
records were destroyed, having been burned out in the yard. One 6f the
schoox-teachers and his wife, who were living in the quarters on the com¬
pound, had looked their room and gone away. The door was broken, and the
police entering broke open the door of tho Korean chest in which their
clothes were looked. They took all the clothes out and burned them in the
yard. Not being able to find the school-teacher, they took his wife and
brought her to Pyeng Yang where she is still in prSson.
^  The police caught and bound eight men whom they striped and beat
in the church yard; and one of these was burned with matches on the
tenderest part of his bidy. This was told me in the -oresenoe of many a.
others by one of the men who wae beaten. Three women'were striped naked
am beaten, because they v-fould not tell where their husbands were, (most
i...t.?,;.y they did not know where thoy were). These three women are Leader
Pa-.r-.3 wife, Elder's Choi's wife and Elder Simi.  Cho's wife. The two form¬
er were beaten so terribly that two weeks after when we were informed of
t.-.iB, they were still not able to come to ohuroh. 'The lattec. Elder Cho's
v,iie, herself told me that she was taken out of her house by two officers
one a Japanese and the other a Korean, was taken from the village by thes4
two men out to a pine grove behind the village, where she was fSrced to
taj^e oif all her clothes and was beaten terribly th(Sre by them, while
sitting on the ground.                                                                                          '"j-j-o

Elder Choi's mother said that the officers took off with them a
large picture book which was in the house, and a fine Jmerioan bicycle

of considerable value. Another man, by the name of Deacon Choi, was
arrested and brought into Pyeng Yang, where he died in prison less than
ten days after his arrest. The family was notified to oome to P.Y.and
take his remains out for burial. Some time later one old lady who had
hired man working for her but who had run off when he heard that the offi¬
cers had come to the village, was asked by the officers to nresent the
hired man.  She replied that she did not know where he was, Efter which
they proceeded to beat her severely.

There has boon no services in the church since the beating of   the
eight men  Many of those who do not have hired help to do thiir work, are
not able to attend to their farming for fear of being arrested. The above
trouble was not due to any demonstration at Ponsyuk itself, but because
01 What had happened at Morak, w.here some of the peoole from Ponsvuk
had gone at the time of the demonstration there.

Some two or three weeks later, I visited Ponsyuk and saw the
damaged property and verified what is described above.

At Won-chang, there was a slight demonstration whioh passed off
without any trouble whatever. But *wo or three days later, some of the
people from Won-chang and surrounding villages attending the demonstration
at Morak, where the police fired into the crowd, killing and woundii^
many. Of the men injure at Moriik, some were from Won-chang and sur¬
rounding villages. Of the Won-chang Christians, two sons^ an elder

"nfao^'i^^^^ ^^!r °^^ "*^ ^°^  through the arm, a deacon was shot thru
.ne soulder another was g shot thru the leg. Those three with others
.Tere brought to the Hall Memorial Hospital in Pyeng Yang. Later Elder
ona's older brother was attacked in his own house at nigtit, and in
attempting to excape was thrust through the baok with a bayonet and
•iilled. Later Elder Cho's house was visited, his wife beaten, and

-.tht li.l't^ "^l ^}^ H^  ^2°^^• ^°'^'' ^^^^*^  volumes were thus consigned
.0 tne flames! Most, if not all of these, were Christian books. All the
onurch records were burned, only the Japanese school books escaped
Lne pastor of the church was called into the polioe at Pyeng Yang and
questioned, ana released. He ^ent baok to Won-chang ohuroh Ihere he    ■
held services the following Sunday, after whioh he was again arrested.
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