In the meantime the king and crown prince were held prisoners in their own palace by a cabinet composed of Koreans who were favorable to the Japanese government. Immediately after the death of the queen, before the soldiers and assassins had dispersed, the Japanese minister had come to the palace and requested an audience. According to the official report, Count Miura, with his secretary, Mr. Sugimma,[3] the Tai Won Kun, and a Japanese, who had led the _soshi_, were all present at this audience, and presented three papers to the king for signature, one being that the cabinet should henceforth manage the affairs of the country, one that Prince Yi Chai Miun should be minister of the royal household, and the other appointing a vice-minister of the household. The king shaken by the events of the night, and helpless in the hands of his enemies, signed all three. Then the Japanese troops were withdrawn, and the _Kurentai_ alone left on guard. Soon after the ministers of war and police departments were changed for pro-Japanese, “so that all the armed forces of the government, and even the personal attendants of his majesty” were under the control of the opponents of the royal person and family. [3] See “Korean Repository” official account of the murder of the queen. Mr. Waeber, the Russian minister, and Dr. Allen, Chargé d’Affaires of the United States, having heard the firing, arrived at the palace, while the Japanese minister was still there, and were made acquainted by the king to some extent concerning the occurrences which had just taken place. The poor king was in a state of shock amounting to almost complete prostration, which was pitiable to behold, after the awful experiences of the night and the brutal murder of his idolized queen. The friends and connections of the royal family, officials, soldiers, servants and hangers on about the palace, of whom there were several thousands, were all in the wildest panic. Every one was rushing in mad haste to escape from the confines of the palace grounds, and uniforms or anything that could distinguish men as belonging to the court were recklessly torn off and thrown away. The American, Russian and English legations were thronged with people, anxious for shelter from the hands of those who composed the band of Korean traitors. The foreign representatives felt and showed much indignation over the cruel assassination of her majesty and sympathy for the king.