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| The Customs House at Jemulpo in 1913 Robert Neff Collection |
By Robert Neff
At around five in the morning on Dec. 4, 1884, Capt. Ferdinand H. Morsel (a 39-year-old German national working for the Korean Customs at Jemulpo [modern Incheon] as a boat officer) noticed a detachment of Japanese soldiers and "many Japanese civilians, under arms, left for Seoul." It was noteworthy but not overly alarming as rumors had been circulating in the port that there was a disturbance in the capital. Few, however, paid much attention as rumors of unrest and disturbances in Korea were quite common.
Later, that evening, Morsel heard rumors ― originating from the residence and office of the senior Korean official of the port ― that there really was a disturbance in Seoul and that some of the Korean officials had been killed. Morsel contemplated notifying his superior, Alfred Burt Stripling (the Commissioner of Customs at the port), but decided against it as "he [Stripling] would be better informed than I." He was wrong.
On Thursday afternoon, at about 2:30 p.m., two Germans ― 29-year-old Carl Gottsche (a geologist employed by the Korean government) and 57-year-old Louis Kniffler (a merchant visiting from Nagasaki) suddenly arrived at the customs office with alarming news.
According to the two men, they had been sent by Paul George von Mollendorff (a German and the Chief Commissioner of Korean Customs as well as an official in other offices) to bring some of the customs' staff back to Seoul to help defend the foreign residents ― and that a coup was underway.
I have already discussed the first night of the coup here and here.
There are, however, some interesting differences. According to them (as Morsel recalls), when Prince Min Yeong-ik was severely wounded, Mollendorff discovered him on the ground and lifted him up. The prince was "insensible, partly from fright and loss of blood" and was carried back into the dining room. "On arriving there with his almost lifeless burden, being himself bespattered with blood, [Mollendorff] was met by the exclamation, 'Ha, Mollendorff is wounded' and in a twinkling all had left and he was along with the wounded [Prince Min]."
Mollendorff then summoned some of his staff and they took the near-dead prince back to the customs headquarters and summoned Dr. Horace N. Allen. "Some of the [prince's] friends, who had collected about him by this time, wanted to turn the case over to the physician attached to the Japanese legation as they were extremely solicitous as to his condition, but this fortunately was not done."
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| Jemulpo in the 1890s Robert Neff Collection |
Mollendorff, concerned about his guests ― Mr. and Mrs. Gottsche and Kniffler ― and wanting more men to help protect the customs office in Seoul, suggested that they leave immediately. It is unclear if Mr. Gottsche took Mollendorff up on his offer immediately but apparently Kniffler readily accepted it. According to Morsel:
"[Kniffler] was in some haste to get away from Seoul and seemed very anxious to assist in getting Mrs. [Gottsche] to [Jemulpo] in safety. He used von Mollendorff's pony, promising to return it as soon as he had seen that lady safely arrived at [Jemulpo] but his memory played him false."
Morsel went on to add, "I am not sure whether it was he that escorted the lady or whether the lady escorted him."
When they arrived in Jemulpo, the prince's condition was still unknown. It was only later that they learned that he had survived and would eventually recover. However, as Morsel seems to imply, the outcome might have been much different ― fatal ― if he had been taken to the Japanese physician.
Kniffler's memory was not the only one to suffer tricks. Just over a dozen years later, when he recalled the events, he mistook the dates; he claimed that the following took place on Dec. 5 but if this is true, it causes some conflict with his earlier narrative about Kniffler. According to Morsel's account:
"At about 6 a.m., on December 5, 1884, I went to the [Jemulpo] Customs Office and found that my chief, Mr. Stripling, had arrived. I at once received orders to call the staff. This being done, we all received orders to arm ourselves and proceed to Seoul to act as guard to our chief in Seoul. That order put us all in good spirits and there was not one of us who was disturbed at the idea of having a little fun. I believe I may speak for all when I say that we were ready to a man to face anything, as the Irishman said, 'either for fun or fight.' Our chief's orders were readily and quickly executed and by 7 a.m. the whole staff, indoor and outdoor, assembled at Ho-to some four and a half miles to the northward of [Jemulpo], at the private residence of our chief, Mr. Stripling. We were seven in number, all on ponies and armed with swords and revolvers. As we started, we tried to induce Mr. [Kniffler] to accompany us but he exclaimed, 'Go on, I will follow soon.'"
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| South Gate circa 1905 Robert Neff Collection |
Even a dozen years later, Morsel could not resist taking a shot at Kniffler's supposed cowardice when he added, "We are still looking for him." Kniffler died in Nagasaki in 1888 and was in very poor health during his short visit to Korea in 1884.
The armed men then proceeded towards Seoul but after traveling for only a few kilometers they encountered "an old magistrate" that he identified as Kim Gajin. According to Morsel, Kim was a general ― a position he had had held since he "had served at the defense of Kang-wha during the naval attack by the United States." Calling him old seems rather odd as Kim was actually a year younger than Morsel.
Kim apparently told the Westerners that they should go back to Jemulpo as "it would not tend to lessen the excitement of the Koreans to see so many armed Europeans enter Seoul." Besides, the unrest might have already been settled. Stripling agreed and, for the most part, they returned to the port.
Except for Morsel who ― in his own words ― was "deputed to carry despatches to the German representative from the German Vice-Consul at Chemulpo." Two men, customs assistant Ernest Laporte (a Frenchman) and harbormaster Captain Fritz W. Schultz (a 41-year-old German) also volunteered to accompany him.
"It would have been better had the latter not accompanied us but as the Commissioner [Stripling] had no authority over him we could do no less than accommodate our pace to his, so we did not reach the South Gate till 3:30 p.m. We had already heard much firing and had tried to push on but our companion had only a Korean pony while we were mounted on good Chinese ponies. He was heavier armed than we, too, for besides a heavy sword and a revolver (a weapon calculated to shoot around corners) he carried four quart bottles of beverage stronger than water tied to his saddle."
It should go without saying that most of the Westerners dwelling in Korea at this time had very colorful histories ― usually with some skeletons in their closets ― and Schultz was no exception. He had no qualms in digging up Korean skeletons and selling them to museums in Europe.
The three men proceeded as fast as they could toward the gate ― keeping Schultz in front and whipping his pony to quicken its pace. They succeeded in reaching the gate just as the guards were about to close it. The main street running from the South Gate to Jongno was packed with people, all shouting and yelling, and in the distance ― coming from the palace area ― they heard constant gunfire.
The real adventure had begun.
Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books including, Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
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