№211에 첨부

1895년, 서울.

 

1894년 9월 26일/10월 8일.

 

현흥택 참령의 증언

 

[판독불가] troops surrounded the Choo-sung-moon the North-western Gate of the Palace, and they were with cannons climbing up to the 'Gal-moon-don' in the middle part of the North mountain facing toward the Palace grounds and that Japanese troops and Korean soldiers of 'Whoon-yun battalion were in array and breaking the 'Kwang-wha-moon' the front gate of the Palace. I was orders to place the soldiers of H. M's Body-guard at all parts of the Palace to make resistance. Then I heard that Japanese troops had climbed over the wall of the 'Choo-sung-moon,' the North western Gate. So I went and ... that about one hundred Japanese troops had already come into the backgrounds of the Palace, so I shut the Gate leading to the backgrounds and were in the act of resisting with soldiers. But the Japanese troops rushed into toe Palace shooting trough 'Kwang-wha-moon' the front gate which was opened by them. The soldiers of H. Majesty's Body-guard resisted by shooting but they finally were defeated and dispersed.

Now Japanese troops all rushed and surrounded (to)H. M's family house and surrounded it about twenty Japanese, some dressed in European ordinary clothes with swords, some in Japanese national costume also with swords and dome regular Japanese soldiers carrying rifles on shoulder, got hold of me and tied my hands on my back; and they asked me in beating me, asking my name. I said that I am Hiun-hung-tak, the Colonel of H. M's Body-guard. Then they dragged me towards H. M's family house pressing me by threats to find out the Queen. I sail "I don't know where she is, even if you kill me." They dragged me into H. V's Family house as far as to the Front of His Majesty and pressed me th point out the Queen if she was there. I still said "I don't know." They dragged me from there to a building called 'Kak-kum-chung' and kept beating me to make me th confess whereabout of the Queen, but I refused to tell to the last; of course I was being beaten all the while by the Japanese let go their hold on me and rushed into the Royal family house.

Since then no Japanese asked me about whereabout of the Queen; this put me in suspicion and I want to H. M's family house to see what has taken place. I found His Majesty removed to the 'Chang-an-dang' the outer apartments of the Royal family house. I saw what e thought th be the Queen lying killed in the 'Kwon-young-hab' the inner apartments of the Royal family house. Then I was driven out from there by the Japanese. A little while afterwards, hearing that the Japanese were burning up the corpse of the murdered Queen in the east part near by, I rushed to the ...., and there I saw clearly with my own eyes that the dress of the burning corpse was lady's one.