Wong Kong Ying et al
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.
*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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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A. Maybe he was re-engaged again, I don't know.
Q.515 Do you re-engage men who throw away all their tools and hide them?
A. I didn't re-engage Sam, but maybe Mr. Matheson did.
Q. 516 Who did you make your arrangement with for engaging these Chinamen?
A. Mr. Colqhoun and Mr. Leeson.
Q.517 Your part in it was just to get the man, was it?
A. Yes, just to engage the men.
Q.518 You didn't pay them?
A. The Lumber Company pay me and I pay Hop Sang, and after Hop Sang pay the food and me there wasn't any money.
Q.519 Did you get any complaints from the Hop Sang Company?
A. Yes, he told me no money come from the Lumber Company.
Q.520 You mean they expected the money to come direct from the Lumber Company and not through you?
A. Sometime we go to the office together to get the money; sometime Hop Sang go over himself.
Q.521 Do you know anything about the orders sent in for food?
A. Wherever I know an order went to Hop Sang I asked him whether he send the order or not. Hop Sang say yes, already send.
Q.522 Did you get any complaints from these men about shortage of food?
A. No complaints.
Q.523 Never at any time?
A. No.
Q.524 Did you ever hear from anyone that there was a shortage of food at these camps
A. No, I didn't hear of anybody complaining, only now.
Q. 525 Did you know a lot of men leaving the camp in November because they could not get food? October or November?
A. Part of the propaganda on the part of the white men.
Q.526 Propaganda, was it? Did you know that Corporal Dunbar sent a telegram to Vancouver, to the Chief of Police? To the chief of the Provincial Police?
A. What month was that?
Q. 527 On October 18th, 1933?
47.