Fred Humber - Death at the Harbourview Cafe: a true crime story

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Humber, Fred, 1945-, author

Death at the Harbourview Cafe: a true crime story

/ Fred Humber.

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-1-77117-626-2 (paperback).--ISBN 978-1-77117-627-9 (epub).--ISBN 978-1-77117-628-6 (kindle).--ISBN 978-1-77117-629-3 (pdf)

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from Library and Archives Canada.

2017 by Fred Humber

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of the work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any meansgraphic, electronic or mechanicalwithout the written permission of the publisher. Any request for photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems of any part of this book shall be directed to Access Copyright, The Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency, 1 Yonge Street, Suite 800, Toronto, ON M5E 1E5. This applies to classroom use as well.

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We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Tourism, Culture, Industry and Innovation for our publishing activities. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $157 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. Lan dernier, le Conseil a investi 157 millions de dollars pour mettre de lart dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.

To those who died or were wounded in the tragedy, and to Miss Hearsey Canning, who tried so hard to prevent it, I dedicate this long-overdue book.

This true story is from a night of horror and heroism. I lived in Botwood at that time, as did many of the witnesses who came forward to share their memories. Some are now elderly, yet they poured out years of pent-up emotions, many having to pause to compose themselves.

After intense research, I was able to uncover an RCMP file and the findings of a provincial magisterial enquiry, completed in December of 1958 and withheld from publication for nearly sixty years after the event. Its findings and formal statements from those called by the enquiry, most now deceased, combined with current interviews and research, have been used to create Death at the Harbourview Cafe.

It is Newfoundland and Labradors history, within the broader scope of Canadian history, and one of my objectives is to bring understanding to Botwoods youth, who must be puzzled over the various interpretations of this story handed down by elders in the community. It is equally important to give closure to those witnesses and first responders involved in the events of November 6 and 7, 1958. Make no mistake, they were abandoned to their own devices to cope as best they could, with many troubling questions left unanswered. The shame is on those who could have and should have released the report.

The fallout of these events broke the heart of a small seaport town. We never got over it. I was thirteen at the time.

Fred Humber

2017

Tom Ling, a follower of Confucius, was Botwoods first Chinese immigrant. His true Chinese name was Ping Yew, but he was known to locals as Jim Ling or Jim the Chinaman. He was born on November 16, 1907, in Tung Shaw, in the District of Hoy Ping in the province of Kwangtung, China. In 1928, his parents chose a wife for him, as was the custom of the day. Her name was Soo Ho Que. She was everything he could have hoped for, and they loved each other dearly. One year after their marriage, a second wonderful thing happened when she brought forth a baby boy. Jims heart was filled with joy as much as any mans could be. But conditions in his home province were dire. Poverty was everywhere, and even starvation at times because of famine. It was so severe that he and Soo Ho Que held discussions with their parents and families, the end result of which was a life-changing decision affecting them all. They would pool their resources to fund Jims passage to North America. In time, they hoped, she and their son would leave to join him, and together they would provide a Confucius-based family life, one which the Chinese knew well and valued above all else.

Jim Ling, very young. Courtesy of Botwood Heritage Society.

At that time, racist legislation existed throughout all of North America, barring females from entry and imposing a punishing head tax on all Chinese immigrants. It was the equivalent of three years income in todays dollars. The decision to leave was fraught with uncertainty and considerable financial commitment, leaving those remaining behind practically penniless. Once Jim became settled, he agreed he would send both families financial help and would return to visit them from time to time. Further, they hoped and dreamed that the restrictions would in time be lifted, and his wife and child would join him in the new land of opportunity that the Chinese referred to as Gold Mountain.

Friends forever: Left to Right Jim Ling; Ron Budgell; Frank Adams; Bob Woolridge; Linda Woolridge. Courtesy of Pattie Budgell and Sylvia Brent Rice.

In May 1931, bearing a Chinese immigration certificate, Jim began his sojourn to a foreign country. His final destination was the Dominion of Newfoundland, on Canadas east coast, two months travel away, a place where the language and ways were unknown to him. He had received information from Chinese citizens from his region of China, who knew residents in St. Johns who were operating restaurants and laundries, that a seaport in the central part of the island, Botwood, was thriving and presented a good opportunity for business ventures to be set up, without causing friction with the Caucasian community. Additionally, having a relationship with the Chinese community in the capital city from his own region was a source of comfort. He knew he would not be totally alone should he need to reach out. This point was instrumental in Jims choice of destination, the fact that he was an immigrant from what was dubbed the region group. Individuals from a particular part of China with its own customs and ways could bring about unique challenges, often giving rise to loneliness when in the midst of folks from other regions, or from chain immigrants. Chain immigrants were based purely on family, brothers and cousins and uncles, congregating in specific communities, wherein loneliness was not so much of an issue. At least they had one another.