Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including Letters from Joseon, Korea Through Western Eyes and Brief Encounters.
Friedrich A. Kalitzky: “An old offender” (Part 2)
A soldier or policemen guards the West Gate, circa 1904.
By Robert Neff
Judging from circumstantial evidence (scant reports here and there), Friedrich Kalitzky was fond of three things: bicycles, alcohol and trouble.
In the 1890s, when the bicycle craze was sweeping Korea, his shop was one of the first to sell bicycles and parts. He was also an avid bicyclist and enjoyed taking to the streets and speeding through the crowds of people, dogs, horses and bulls ― even after imbibing a drink or two or three or four….
This penchant for speed and drink led to many encounters with Korean authorities ― especially the Imperial Guard.
On July 2, 1901, just before noon, Kalitzky ― allegedly in a highly drunken state ― was riding his bicycle near the West Gate. As he raced down the hill ― gathering speed ― he noticed a member of the Imperial Guard sitting in the middle of the street enjoying his late breakfast or lunch. He rang his bell several times but the soldier refused to get up and move and Kalitzky was forced to swerve around him. In doing so, he lost control of his bicycle and plunged into one of the gutters that lined the streets.
These gutters ― basically open sewers ― were extremely foul and Kalitzky was left with cuts and bruises on the right side of his body. His bicycle was destroyed in the accident. The cost to Kalitzky was immense. Bicycles were extremely expensive and one can imagine the loss of face he suffered was equally expensive (although well deserved).
The soldier, realizing he would likely be held responsible, prudently melted away into the crowd of amused onlookers.
Kalitzky demanded redress and made a formal complaint to the Korean government. Apparently it was not his first complaint or encounter, for he was referred to as “an old offender” but, nonetheless, the Korean officials could not risk offending a foreign government and so an investigation was made.
For two and a half months the soldier's identity was sought but was never discovered. A scapegoat was needed. Kim Dae-seon, who was in charge of the guards that day, was found guilty of dereliction of duty (failure to maintain discipline of his subordinates) and sentenced to jail after receiving 80 lashes. The war between Kalitzky and the Imperial Guard had begun.
Corporal punishment being carried out in the early 1900s.
On January 30, 1902, around 4:30 in the afternoon, Korean authorities were summoned to resolve an issue at the Kalitzky residence near Doeksu Palace. Kalitzky claimed that two soldiers (Yi Kyoung-sik and Baek Hwa-seon) from the 2nd Battalion of the Imperial Guards had cursed at him in Korean and followed him to his home where they threw stones at his windows and damaged them. When he did not react to their provocations, they burst into his home and startled his wife and daughter. He tried, unsuccessfully, to shoot them and the two soldiers were promptly arrested.
But the soldiers, and other eyewitnesses, told a different story. They claimed that Kalitzky, “in a drunken spree,” tried to snatch one of the soldiers' hats and that they had followed him but were not cursing at him but merely trying to give him “a stern warning.” Once they were at his home, he commanded his “giant Western dog” to attack them and one of the soldiers suffered a bite from it.
Several months later, at the court martial, the two soldiers were found not guilty but Kalitzky protested and the court gave in to his demands and ordered both soldiers to be lashed 40 times for trespassing. Upon reflection, however, it was decided that only Yi would be punished and he was given 30 lashes.
Kalitzky was not the only one in his family to have a run-in with the Imperial Guard. In June 1904, his wife ― identified only as Frau Kalitzky ― was walking near Yeongseong-mun (the northern gate of Deoksu Palace) when she was verbally assaulted by a group of soldiers of the 3rd Company of the 4th Battalion. It was not the first time and she was determined to put an end to it.
“Mortified and angered at [the highly insulting remarks upon her], she turned on the principal offender who immediately took to his heels. She, in her excitement, started in pursuit.” But she was unable to catch him, so she seized Kim In-sik, one of his fellow soldiers (who was described as possibly drunk), and began berating him.
Kim had a different story. He claimed that he was merely standing on duty at his sentry post when Frau Kalitzky approached and began yelling at him. His inability to understand her further infuriated her and she struck him “fifteen times on the face” and then grabbed him “by the scruff of the neck and arm and dragged him” to her house.
When a neighbor, a Chinese tailor, asked her what she was going to do with him, she replied that she was going to keep him until the soldier who had offended her was apprehended and brought to justice.
In one account, Captain Cho Seong-hun, Kim's commander, is described as being merely a passerby who “tried to solve the issue peacefully” and for his efforts was “violently attacked” by the furious woman. According to his own testimony, however, he claims he went to her residence and demanded that she return the soldier. He said during their conversation she became violent and seized him by the arm.
It isn't clear how or when Kim was released but this time the Korean authorities were determined to do something about the Kalitzky family and complained to the German legation. Frau Kalitzky was summoned to appear before a consular court and, because she only spoke “German indifferently,” was allowed to testify in English. Her husband aptly used his oratory skills to defend her but in the end failed to sway the court and she was found guilty (after only 35 minutes of deliberation) of the “assault and forcible detention” of Kim.
She was ordered to pay a fine of 50 marks but she refused. She was then sentenced a second time and the fine was increased to 75 marks but once again she refused to pay. In September 1905, the German legation had enough of her insubordination and ordered that she be jailed for 10 days. It isn't clear if she actually spent time in jail but if she did, she would enjoy the dubious title of being the first Western woman to be jailed in the Land of the Morning Calm.
My appreciation to JiHoon Suk for his assistance with the Korean sources.