On this day, March 23, in 1908, D.C. native and U.S. diplomat Durham Stevens was fatally shot in San Francisco by a Korean immigrant angered over comments Stevens made regarding Japan's presence in Koreans' home country.

Stevens, an American adviser to Japan, returned to the United States and told a San Francisco newspaper that Koreans were benefiting from the Japanese presence in their country. The statement angered the Korean-American community.

At the Port of San Francisco, protester Jang In-hwan shot Stevens to death.

Stevens was buried in D.C. after a funeral at St. John's Episcopal Church. Secretary of State Elihu Root was a pallbearer.

Jang was found guilty of second-degree murder and sent to prison.

The Korean-American community viewed him as a hero.

- Scott McCabe