Transcription Page

Chung Chi

As part of the Chinese Historical Wrongs Legacy Initiative, we’ve digitized a small selection of inquests and inquiries from 1872 to 1934, found in series GR-0431. These were chosen to reflect the experiences of early Chinese immigrants to B.C. – their living and working conditions, and their unfortunate accidental or unusual deaths.   They range from a woman working in a brothel in Barkerville who died of natural causes to three sawmill workers who died from malnutrition. Learn more.

*All transcriptions are provided by volunteers, and the accuracy of the transcriptions is not guaranteed. Please be sure to verify the information by viewing the image record, or visiting the BC Archives in person. 

BC Archives GR-0431

*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum. Some materials may contain content that is racist, sexist or otherwise offensive. The Royal BC Museum is only the custodian of archival materials; the content does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Royal BC Museum.

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Richard Henry Hodson; sworn:

By Mr. Potts:- You live at union? A: Yes.

Q: And your occupation is a miner? A: Yes.

Q: Did you assist in the rescue of the Chinese Killed in No 6 on the evening of the 15th of July? A: I was one of the party

Q: What part did you take? A: I helped to take out the bodies

Q: Did you make an examination of the mine? A: Not particularly

Q: Did you notice anything there particularly? A: Noticed some caves on the roads; three or four little caves on the roads

Q: Whereabouts? A: There was one cave on the main level

Q: Were you in the second South level? A: I don't know whether it was the second South or not; it was the first time I was in. It was where the explosion was, anyhow

Q: There was a cave there? A: Yes, in the 2nd South

Q: Did you find any lamps? A: I saw one or two laying around.

Q: Were they locked? A: I never examined them.

Q: How was the ventilation? A: When I first went in it was not very good

Q: What time did you go in? A: I don't know exactly the time. I went in there and helped to take out one of them Chinamen that was alive. Took him to the top and then went back, and in the meantime the curtains had been put up

Q: Did you look around for any evidence of anything showing the cause of the explosion? A: No.

Q: You didn't see any matches or anything? A: It would have been impossible to see any matches unless you searched the bodies.

BC Archives GR-0431 Box 6 File 3 BRITISH COLUMBIA. ATTORNEY GENERAL. Inquisitions/inquests conducted by coroners in British Columbia.

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