from a private letter dated Seoul, the 15th The following very interesting extract instant, has been kindly given us for publication. Its accuracy is unimpeachable "On Monday, the 10th February, the Russian guard came up to Seoul, 100 men with one gun; immediately after their arrival the King and Crown Prince made their escape from the Palace. They left in women's chairs, (those that are closed all around and have a sort of tassel, made of silk mostly, hanging in front) with a woman walking on each side of the chair—otherwise they went without any escort, just like common noblemen's wives; no Russian soldiers or sailors went tothe Palace. The King escaped by his own free will: Soon after his arrival at the Russian Legation, the King revoked the hair-cutting edict. Proclamations were stuck all over the city. ordering the immediate arrest of the whole Cabinet; every member of which was to be executed immediately and all heads, ten in number, to be sent to the Russian Legation to the King, The Police caught three Ministers, Kun Hun-chip, late Prime Minister, Chang Pyong-ha, late Minister of Commerce and Agriculture, and Vu Kil-chun, late Minister of the Home Office.
"The two first: were executed on the day of the proclamation, the 11th of February, at the Big Bell; they were not killed by the mob. 'The third one, the real rascal of the whole lot, was rescued by the Japanese soldiers and is now, as they say, together with all the other persons who are want-od' staying in the Japanese Legation.
"One Japanese who struck a Corean in a crowd standing near the execution ground was killed-by the Coreans; otherwise everything is perfectly quiet in Seoul; Japanese women and children walking about unmolested in the streets. The troops who were sent to defeat the people who did not want to get their hair cut have been recalled. This stupid hair-outting has cost the Japanese their influence; how the people despised the new law is best shown by the fact. that a lot of Coreans have been seen with their man gun (hair net) and their top-knot (real or false) on atid dressed in the old style."
While going to press we have received Chemulpo correspondent:—** A very clever coup de main has just occurred here. The Admiral Kornilef's guard of about 100 men left Chemulpo on Monday, 10th, for Seoul. The same evening the King asked the protection of the Russian Minister, and to be permitted to stay at the Legation. He did not ask to be protected against the so-called rebels, who were outside the gates of Seoul, and who had defeated all the troops sent against them. He asked for protection against the oppression of the Japanese, and the officials whom they had installed as their agents, and who were in reality bigger rebels than those advancing on Seoul, who are his loyal subjects merely asking redress for the murder of the Queen (if she is really dead). The whole affair was managed so nicely that the clever Japanese and their tools did not know anything of it until the next day, when they found that the telegraph between Seoul and Fusan had been cut by the insurgents, and it was only by sending a transport to Fusan that the news could be taken to Japan. This news must have arrived yesterday (the 5th), The King, as soon as he found himself safe at once issued orders for the arrest of all the Corean officials who constituted the Cabinet, and who had really been appointed by the Japanese. Many arrests were at once made, but two of them, Chun-pen Yow and Kim-Hung Yipy the last the Prime Minister, were mobbed by the people and their brains dashed out. She, the Minister of War, and the worst of the whole lot, nearly suffered the same fate, but was rescued by a party of Japanese soldiers, as the affair took place just in front of their barracks. He is now in the Japanese Legation. I am sure, however, that his delivery up will be demanded if it has not been already done.
The people in Seoul were on the point of rising against the Japanese, the night of the lith having been fixed as the time for it; but the Russian Minister at once advised the King to issue orders to his people to keep quiet. This was done, and the whole thing took place as if by magic, the utmost order prevailing, only nese getting killed in the streets.
ing's order was also sent to the people outside the city. It informed them that he was safe under the Russian protection, and would, in due time, mete out justice. They were to go about their business, just as if nothing had happened. This, as far as is known, was thoroughly obeyed. An Edict wus also issued, permitting the people to wear their hair as before, and to dress as they liked provided their clothes were white.
In a Conference with the Foreign Ministers, held with closed doors, on the night of the Lith the King informed them that since October 14th he was never allowed to use his own seal. Since that date he had not even seen it, and orders issued since then he knew absolutely nothing about, I may add here that Russia will see that the King will rule his country just as he likes, and any advice he may get from a Russian adviser will be in the right direction. It is about time that this should have taken place. It should have been done in the winter of 1884-85, but matters were hardly ripe at that time, and the King's adviser then was unwise. But better Into than never; and we may now look forward with confidence to prosperity in Corea.
Some of the foreigners here think that Japan will fight; I myself think she is too cautious for that, and if she should it would be running her head against a stone wall. Russian troops are not Chinese, and the Russian fleet would not look on at the Tapanese landing troops in Corea. In case Japan does' try it, few of her troops live~to land again on Japanese soil. Another thing is that no European officers would stay in her transports, as they have sense enough to know what they would have to face. They would, if captured, be treated as renegades, and the in sch cases is the yard-arm.—. ug Sun, 19th February.
The following is from a supplement issued by the Corean Repository, received on Tuesday
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.