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An excerpt from the Winter 2025-26 edition of British Columbia History
Only seven years after the 1907 anti-Asian race riots destroyed parts of Vancouver’s Chinatown and Japantown, another violent incident sent shockwaves through the early Chinese community. This time, however, the protagonists were not an angry mob: They were a 31-year-old White society lady named Clara Millard and a 16-year old Chinese houseboy known as Jack Kong (a.k.a. John or Jong Yew Kong).
The grisly details of their clash dominated English and Chinese local newspaper headlines for almost two months, and the story quickly spread across Canada. More importantly, the deadly altercation would harm the livelihoods of hundreds of other Chinese servants working in private homes, hotels, and restaurants, and would help fuel a new wave of vigilante attacks on the Chinese community.
The participants
Jack Kong was 13 when he landed in Canada from China in 1910. He arrived on his own and entered as a “student.” [1]
Although Jack came for an education, he was expected to work to earn his keep. By 1911, he was hired as a live-in houseboy by Charles J. Millard and his spouse, Clara, a power couple of their time. Charles was the lead ticket agent for the Canadian Pacific Railway. His stylish wife, Clara, was frequently mentioned in local news stories covering high-society events.
Since the Millards employed only one servant, Jack’s daily routine included cooking, cleaning, laundry, and running errands, all performed under Clara’s direction. As a student, the boy attended the local public school for a few hours each day. Jack spoke perfect English, loved learning, and “developed an almost mania for his studies, devoting not only his school hours but almost all his spare time to reading.” [2]
The turning point
Perhaps it was Jack’s obsession with school that created tensions in the Millard home. While Charles had a respectful relationship with Jack and encouraged him to study, [3] Clara’s interactions with the houseboy were often tense and confrontational. She viewed him primarily as a servant, and they frequently clashed. Later, during an inquest, Charles described Clara as “a demon for cleaning … a terror” [4] who sometimes threatened to keep Jack away from school if the housework was not done to her satisfaction.
By the spring of 1914 their clashes intensified. Jack began staying out on Saturday nights, which Clara disapproved of strongly. She remarked that his cooking was sloppy the next day and his demeanour changed. On occasion, the couple detected an odour on Jack they couldn’t identify. Was he smoking opium?
Then, in late March 1914, after Clara criticized Jack’s laundry skills, the Millard home was broken into and pieces of jewellery went missing. [5] Jack claimed that 50 cents had been stolen from his room in the attic.
Two weeks after the burglary, on Wednesday, April 1, 1914, Clara mysteriously disappeared. Charles, away the night before in Victoria for work, initially was not concerned with her absence. However, by Thursday afternoon—after several phone calls to family and friends trying to locate Clara—the police were contacted. A thorough search of the house began.
Neighbours were interviewed. A large, dark wet stain under the breakfast table rug was suspected to be blood. The detectives noticed the basement stairs and floor had been scrubbed recently. Jack’s favourite pants had been freshly washed, but specks of what looked like blood were spotted on his slippers and suspenders. As the search continued into the evening, police noticed the houseboy’s nervous demeanour and took him to the station for questioning.
Meanwhile, tracking dogs were brought to the house. Items of Clara’s clothing were found hidden in a remote part of the attic. The rings she wore daily, plus other items that went missing from the earlier burglary, were found concealed in the basement. Small charred fragments of human-sized bone with flesh still attached were discovered in the furnace. Police believed they now had found Clara’s remains.
At the station, Jack eventually confessed that he was responsible for Clara’s death. Word spread quickly: The high society lady had been murdered by her trusted Chinese houseboy.
The fallout
By Monday, April 6, the Chinese community began to suffer the fall out. Anger and a thirst for vengeance stoked the pervasive anti-Asian sentiment that already gripped the province.
The Sun newspaper printed a photo of the elegant Mrs. Millard alongside a headline that announced the “Wholesale Dismissals of Chinese.” Based on an interview with Mr. Hop Wo, who operated a Chinese employment agency in Vancouver, the article gave a sense of the carnage that unfolded within hours of the story breaking:
Chinese boys employed in the homes of Vancouver citizens, hotels, and restaurants are being dismissed from service in large numbers as the result of the fiendish murder of the late Mrs. Charles Millard … already, fifty to sixty boys had been discharged and more dismissals were expected as a result of the crime ... boys were being discharged wholesale from the homes they had been employed in for some for years. [6]
The Daily Province wrote “Among the hotels to take drastic action today was the Saint Francis, which discharged every China man in its employ.” [7]
Besides the layoffs, violence erupted. The Sun newspaper reported that “white men stopped Chinese on the street and assaulted them.” [8] The Vancouver Daily World added, “Indignation runs high against the Orientals. Several attempts were made on Saturday night and yesterday afternoon to flame the prejudice into something tangible, but the prompt action of the police … stopped what might easily have resulted in a recurrence of the Chinese riots of seven years ago.” [9]
Meanwhile, the Chinese community felt both shame and shock that one of their own should be accused of such a horrific crime. Some felt particularly outraged given Charles Millard’s role with the CPR and his history of assisting the Chinese community. In a letter published in the English newspapers, Chinatown leader Yip Sang publicly offered sympathy to Charles and wrote of the community’s “earnest desire that the murderer be brought to justice without delay.” [10]
The trial
In 1914, the justice system moved quickly. Jack’s preliminary inquiry hearing took place on April 16; by May 18, the teenager was on trial in front of a jury. In an era when sensational murder trials were a public spectacle, a form of live theatre, crowds flooded to both hearings and the courtroom was “packed ¼ to suffocation.” [11]
Although Jack renounced his confession—claiming it was made under duress—the evidence, which included 15 witnesses and 50 exhibit items, was stacked against him.
On May 20, the final day of proceedings, Jack’s lawyers took a desperate, last-ditch gamble and called him to the stand. The houseboy explained what happened that fateful April 1. It had all been a terrible accident, he explained.
Jack described how he prepared Clara breakfast. When she complained about the porridge and demanded he cook something else, Jack refused as it would make him late for school. Clara, he said, became furious, grabbed a knife from the buffet, and lunged at him, threatening to cut off his ear if he did not obey. In self-defence, Jack grabbed a chair to protect himself from the knife. In the struggle, Clara struck her temple against the corner of the chair, collapsed, and began to bleed.
Jack claimed he tried to revive Clara, but when it became evident that she was dead, he feared that Charles would kill him. In a panic, he hauled Clara’s body down to the basement, dismembered it, and burned what he could in the furnace.
While still on the stand, Jack also admitted stealing Clara’s jewellery in late March. He had been angry with Clara after she criticized his laundry work and had wanted to get back at her.
Surprisingly, on May 21, after just over seven hours of deliberation, the all-White, all-male jury found Jack Kong guilty only of manslaughter. The courtroom was aghast, and even the judge was stunned by the verdict.
The aftermath
It’s unclear how many Chinese service workers were affected by Jack’s actions. It is also uncertain how long they waited before they were welcomed back into White-owned homes, hotels, and restaurants. The tendency to scapegoat hundreds of hardworking, reliable Chinese employees for the tragic act of one underscored how much Chinese were resented and vilified in British Columbia at the time.
Interestingly, ten years after Jack’s conviction, another murder involving a Chinese houseboy rocked Vancouver—but this time the death was of a female servant named Janet Smith, not the matron of the house. It appears that no mass layoffs of Chinese followed that incident. Perhaps, by then, the service industry recognized they could not get by without Chinese labour.
As for Jack Kong, he was sentenced to life in prison and sent to the BC Penitentiary. In 1924, as required by the Chinese Exclusion Act, Jack was registered and photographed while in prison, and a C.I.44 form was completed. That government document revealed Jack’s ultimate fate: He was deported to China in May 1925, returned on the Canadian Pacific steamship Empress of Asia. One cannot help but wonder if Charles Millard—still working as the CPR ticket agent—assisted with the travel arrangements.
Image: Library & Archives Canada, RG76-D-2, 259234, T-16184-01190
Endnotes
1. General Register of Chinese Immigration, Library and Archives Canada, RG76-D-2-a, volume 1063.
2. Opening remarks of prosecutor, A.D Taylor, K.C., April 16, 1914, BC Archives, GR-0419 77.
3. Charles wrote several letters to immigration officials in September 1912 advocating they refund John’s $500 head tax fee as the boy had been a bona fide student for a period of two years.
4. Coroner’s Inquisition #139, April 4, 1914, BC Archives, GR-1327, B02394, p. 13.
5. Accused Admits Killing Woman,” Daily News Advertiser, May 21, 1914, p. 5.
6. Wholesale Dismissals of Chinese,” The Sun, April 6, 1914, p. 1.
7. “China Boy Nearer Twenty Than Seventeen,” The Daily Province, April 4, 1914, p. 15.
8. “Public Indignation Sequel to Terrible Crime in West End,” The Sun, April 6, 1914, p. 1.
9. “Feeling Runs High over Millard Murder,” Vancouver Daily World, April 6, 1914, p. 4.
10. “Feeling Runs High over Millard Murder,” Vancouver Daily World, April 6, 1914, p. 1.
11. “Curious Crowds Throng Little Court Room,” Vancouver Daily World, April 16, 1914, p. 1.
Catherine Clement is an award-winning community historian, curator, and author. Her latest book, The Paper Trail to the 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act, based on her landmark public history project, was released in the summer of 2025.
An excerpt from the Winter 2025-26 issue of British Columbia History
1 Light at the Othello Tunnels
Exiting Othello Tunnel No. 1, which is 556 feet (169 metres) long. New wire mesh and barriers to stabilize cliff faces and a resurfaced trail are visible. (Photo: Mark Forsythe)
Seriously damaged by the atmospheric river floods of 2021, the Othello tunnels and bridges and the trails at Coquihalla Canyon Park have now been repaired. Public access was partially restored to three of the five tunnels in summer 2025; full access will return during the new season in April 2026. The $10 million upgrade (supported by Canada’s Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program) includes a newly constructed north bridge, resurfaced trail, and stabilization of the slope, rocks, and tunnels. Work on a new south bridge and tunnel stabilization is now complete.
Once part of the CPR’s Kettle Valley Railway link from the coast to mines in the Kootenay, Boundary, and Similkameen regions, the Othello tunnels were blasted in a perfectly straight line through granite cliffs rising 300 feet (91 metres) above. The railway’s engineering feat meant crossing three mountain ranges and it came to be known as “McCulloch’s Wonder,” named after chief engineer Andrew McCulloch. Opened in 1916, the Coquihalla section operated until 1959 and was abandoned in 1961.
The tunnels remain one of Hope’s main attractions—thanks in part to movies like the Rambo film First Blood. Inside the tunnels and along the railbed you can almost hear steam engines roaring through the spectacular canyon, and if you’re lucky, you might see salmon leaping up the boiling Coquihalla River. For more on Coquihalla Canyon Park, visit the BC Parks website: https://bcparks.ca/coquihalla-canyon-park.
View From Inside Tunnel No. 1. (Photo: Mark Forsythe)
2 Centennial Legacy Fund at Work
(Alder Grove Heritage Society president Tami Quiring with the new scanners. Photo: Mark Forsythe)
Let the scanning begin! A grant from the BCHF Centennial Legacy Fund allowed the Alder Grove Heritage Society to acquire an ET Max scanner and helped them to purchase a Kodak film scanner. The society operates a small museum inside a former BC Telephone Company office near downtown Aldergrove.
3 Whaler’s Shrine is Home
The Whalers’ Shrine ready for its cross-country drive from New York City to Vancouver Island. (Photo: Margaretta James)
“Wonder. Disbelief. Joy. Awe. Relief.” This is the powerful range of emotions from Elder Margaretta James of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation after their Whalers’ Shrine finally returned home from the American Museum of Natural History, in New York City. The shrine has been there since 1905, when it was acquired for anthropologist Franz Boaz under questionable circumstances.
It has taken decades of effort by elders to retrieve the Shrine, also called Whalers’ Washing House, or “cheesum,” which was a place of spiritual preparation before the annual hunt. It includes 88 carved human figures, four carved whale figures, and 16 human skulls. All are now in storage at Yuquot, in Nootka Sound.
Margaretta shared the image of the loaded truck: “I took this photo at AMNH [American Museum of Natural History] awaiting the loading of the Shrine onto the truck. For me, all the elements came together and 120 years to the day, the Shrine was loaded onto the truck and sent on its way. We brought the ancestors with us on our flight.”
The shrine was recognized as a National Historic Site in the 1980s, and the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation is currently collaborating with Parks Canada to create 3-D imaging of the Shrine. Parks Canada assisted with funding and logistics, and a father and son in California with connections to the First Nation helped make the return a reality. The hope is to take it back to the lake where it once stood. Hereditary Chief Mike Maquinna told CBC News, “It’s not just an artifact for us, it is part of our culture.”
4 Vancouver Historical Society Walking Tour = Exclusive Access
The original boardroom from the Georgia Medical-Dental Building. (Photo: Greg Dickson)
When the Georgia Medical-Dental Building was demolished in 1989, a treasure from this art deco structure was spared from the dust and rubble. The 60-year-old tower took fewer than 10 seconds to crumble during its implosion (drawing 50,000 spectators) and fortunately, its mahogany-panelled boardroom had already been removed by the Ratcliffe family, former owners of the building. At the time, the demolition was highly controversial, as the landmark Georgia Medical-Dental Building was Vancouver’s first art deco skyscraper—the same architects, John McCarter and George Nairne, designed the Marine Building the following year.
Since then the boardroom has been meticulously restored and now sits on the fourth floor of Cardero, a modern tower. The building was developed and is partly owned by the same family; the boardroom has been rewired for teleconferencing by firms in the building. The project won a Heritage BC Award in 2022 for Conservation, described as a “feat of architectural archeology.”
What’s new? Participants in a Vancouver Historical Society architecture walking tour got a rare peek inside the boardroom, with its art deco engravings and brass fixtures, last summer with Michael Kluckner and Don Luxton (who was part of the restoration team)—yet another wonderful reason to join the Vancouver Historical Society. Watch for Society events on their website: https://vancouver-historical-society.ca/events.
5 Old Yale Barn Reborn
Before and after: The Old Yale Barn in Murrayville has been transformed. (Photo: Mark Forsythe)
The metal roof was shredded, its siding blown off, and the rafters and floorboards were rotting as the elements ravaged the structure. The historic Old Yale Barn in Langley’s Murrayville district was in dire need of attention, so the Langley Heritage Society took on the restoration in the fall of 2023. It has now been completed.
The reboot of this century-old dairy barn includes a new recycled-rubber roof, plywood framing, fresh roof and support beams, new windows, and rock-solid Hardie Board siding. “It should be good for another 100 years,” says the society’s president Fred Pepin.
The barn sits inside Old Yale Park, which is operated by the Township of Langley, and is a testament to the rich agricultural history in the Fraser Valley; thousands of barns like it are long gone. The old Vancouver, Victoria and Eastern Railway railbed crosses inside the park, another element that makes this spot a fascinating intersection of local history and recreation. The project cost more than $150,000, financed by the society’s trust that has grown from a member donation made about 20 years ago.
Old Yale Barn has now been turned back to the township’s parks and recreation department for public use. Two barn owls occupying the second floor remained throughout the restoration. No doubt they’re now singing its praises.
Mark Forsythe travels through BC and back in time, exploring the unique work of British Columbia Historical Federation members.
Prolific Rossland historian Ron Shearer has died at 93.
Shearer was a UBC economics professor emeritus who in his retirement began looking into little-known aspects of the history of the city where he grew up.
He wrote Chicanery, Civilty, and Celebrations: Tales of Early Rossland, described as "a collection of stories about people and events that were fundamental components in the social fabric of the young community."
He also contributed to the book Cemeteries of Rossland and wrote biographies of prominent figures like Ross Thompson and Olaus Jeldness. Some of his articles can be found on the Rossland Museum's website, including studies of the Chinese population in Rossland and the city's winter carnival.
Shearer's full obituary can be found here.
Filmmaker and philanthropist Jack Gin shares how he traced the life of WWI Private Frederick Lee for his film One of Ours: The Story of Private Fred Lee. Born in Kamloops, died during the Battle of Hill 70, Private Lee was one of the first Canadians of Chinese descent to enlist for a country that did not see him as an equal.
Watch the full video here.
The Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre (NNMCC) is delighted to invite the public to its annual Oshōgatsu: Japanese New Year Celebration on Saturday, January 3, 2026, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Admission to the festive community event is free, offering families and friends an authentic opportunity to experience the rich cultural traditions of the Japanese New Year.
Oshōgatsu is one of the most significant holidays in Japan. The day is packed with traditional, free activities for all ages:
Kakizome (New Year Calligraphy): Attendees are invited to participate in the traditional first writing of the year, setting their aspirations and resolutions with brush and ink.
Shishimai (Lion Dance): A highlight of the celebration, the thrilling and auspicious performance by Rakuichi is believed to bring good luck for the new year.
Classic Japanese Games: Visitors can challenge themselves with traditional board and card games, including Shogi, Igo, Karuta, and Hanafuda.
Amazake (sweet sake) Making Demonstration & Tasting: Sen Sakamoto of Kintoki Sweets will conduct hourly amazake-making demos including a free tasting.
Traditional Kadomatsu (pine and bamboo) decorations, symbolizing longevity and prosperity, will be on display.
The event will also feature various food and drink vendors, including the Onigiri & Miso Soup Cafe, Yama Cafe (offering Oden and Manju), Tatchan Noodle (Okinawan noodles), and Japadog, providing warm and delicious refreshments.
The Oshōgatsu event is presented in partnership with community organizations, including Gladstone Japanese Language School, Igo Club, Rakuichi Mikoshi Canada, Tonari Gumi, Vancouver Japanese Gardeners' Association, Vancouver Shogi Club, and Wailele Wai Wai.
Event Details:
What: Oshōgatsu: Japanese New Year Celebration
When: Saturday, January 3, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Where: Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre, 6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby, BC V5E 4M7
Coming to an inbox or mailbox near you, the winter edition of British Columbia History magazine features a theme of true crime.
If you are not yet a subscriber, you can purchase single issues from our online store or sign up to receive digital copies of the magazine through ZINIO.
The winter 2025 issue includes:
The issue features guest editor Eve Lazarus, plus we have regular contributions from Front Words columnist Mark Forsythe and books editor Dalys Barney, and Snuneymuxw Titumels William A. White shares teachings on the strength, cleansing, and healing associated with Xpey.
The Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre (NNMCC) invites the public to celebrate a beloved Japanese year-end tradition at Nikkei Mochitsuki 2025 on Monday, December 29, 2025, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Admission is free.
The annual event, presented in collaboration with the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association and the NNMCC Auxiliary, offers a delightful cultural experience for all ages.
Event Highlights Include:
Mochi Pounding Demonstration & Public Experience: Watch the traditional process of transforming steamed glutinous rice into soft mochi using an usu (mortar) and kine (mallets), followed by a chance for the public to try pounding their own mochi. The demonstration by the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association begins around 11:15 am.
Fresh and Frozen Mochi Sales: The NNMCC Auxiliary will be selling fresh, handmade mochi available to eat on-site with traditional sweet and savory condiments, as well as frozen mochi to take home.
Stage Performances: Enjoy performances throughout the day, including:
11:00 am: Chibi Taiko
12:30 pm: Satsuki-Kai Dance
2:00 pm: Vancouver Okinawa Taiko
Food and Drink Vendors: A wide selection of popular local vendors will be on-site from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, including MÜKASI COFFEE & CO., JAPADOG, Tatchan Noodle, Japanese Crepe SASUKE, and several Japanese bakeries and food stands.
When: Monday, December 29, 2025, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Where: Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre, 6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby, BC (walk or bus from Edmonds Sky Train station)
Admission: Free
A man who was on the board of the Nelson Museum for more than 50 years has been posthumously awarded the city's heritage award. Alan Ramsden, who died in 2021, was recognized for exemplifying "leadership, passion and long-term vision."
Read more at mynelsonnow.com.
On November 15, 2025, the Mayor and Council issued an official apology for Burnaby’s historic discrimination against people of Chinese descent.
For more than 50 years, from 1892 to 1947, the District Municipality of Burnaby enforced policies and practices that discriminated against people of Chinese descent living, working, and operating businesses in the community. The Municipality also advocated for senior levels of government to introduce regulations targeting this group.
This formal apology reflects the City’s commitment to building an inclusive and welcoming Burnaby for everyone. Alongside the apology, the City is taking meaningful steps to address the legacies of this historic discrimination.
Read the full apology here.
Heritage BC's 2025 Heritage Legacy Fund (HLF) intake closed on August 15, 2025 and received 92 complete applications totalling $1.8 million in funding requests. The applications showcased the incredible breadth of heritage work happening across the province. Applicants submitted 39 Heritage Conservation proposals, 9 Heritage Planning initiatives, 27 Heritage Awareness projects, and 17 Indigenous Partnership projects.
Following adjudication by volunteer panels of heritage professionals, 30 outstanding projects were recommended for support. Heritage BC is proud to award an all-time high of $494,475, supporting 11 Heritage Conservation projects, 4 Heritage Planning initiatives, 10 Heritage Awareness projects, and 5 Indigenous Partnership projects.
See the full list of recipients here.
British Columbia Historical FederationPO Box 448, Fort Langley, BC, Canada, V1M 2R7Information: info@bchistory.ca
With gratitude, the BCHF acknowledges that it carries out its work on the traditional territories of Indigenous nations throughout British Columbia.
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