Transcription Page

Lee Sam

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*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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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the undertakers both at Victoria. I had the bodies stripped - found them well nourished - no external marks of violence - the bodies were apparently healthy - did not appear to have struggled in death. They might have died in a faint or been suffocated by drowning or otherwise. I presume they were asleep when death overtook them. I examined them by request of Superintendent of Police Roycraft.

By Mr. Irving. I could not say whether the bodies had been in the water except that their clothes were wet. They did not exhibit gooseskin flesh.

By Garraway. If deceased were sleeping from the effects of opium they would be more difficult to rouse than otherwise.

Jno Chipp

William Ingram sworn

I am a diver. On Thursday last (I think) I was diving at the wreck of the steamer Enterprise in Cadborough Bay. I saw the hand of a man holding the grating of a window about 10 metres below the main deck. I took out the grating and found the fingers of the hand cut, apparently by breaking the glass in the window. The man was dead. The hand was about 18 inches below the

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BC Archives, GR-0431 Box 4 File 1 / BRITISH COLUMBIA, ATTORNEY GENERAL. / Inquisitions/inquests conducted by coroners in British Columbia.

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