John Marshall 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*Please note that archival source materials are original historical documents that have not been censored, reviewed or otherwise altered by the Royal BC Museum.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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I heard the cry of a little child, but I could not see her but I picked up two men, put them ashore and then went back to pick up some more. My partner had thrown the pike pole over and he told me go and save the man that was closest. We went up and waited a while on the scene he picked up the life buoy and I went back to the boat. There I helped him all I could to get the little girl back to life. Then the doctor come. Juror;- I suppose you travel down the river quite a bit? A;-Yes, sir. Q;- Do you always find the lights burning? A;- Yes. It's a general saying that Mr Dodson is the best on the river, at least what I have to do with, these three or four bridges down here. Q;- Did you notice any fog on the water? A;- No, sir. Q;- How far could you see a body floating in the water? A;- Fifty feet, I should say; that is, floating. If he moved I could see it further because it would make bubbles on the water. Q;- Was the swing opened wide? A;- Yes, sir. Q;- Wide open, and you could see the white light shining on top of the swing before you got there? A;- There's no white light on the swing. Coroner;- Green light? A;- Green light but not the white one. I could see the red one before the bridge started to open. Juror;- Did you see the auto? You seen the light go over the end of the bridge? A;- Yes. Q;- Was the swing wide open at the time the light went over? A;- Yes, sir. Mr. Cowan;- What time did the auto go over? A;- I cannot exactly say; I did not look at the time. Juror;- How long a time from the time you blew your whistle to open the bridge till you seen the auto go over? A;- Twelve or fourteen minutes.