Rex vs. Robert Hughes, John Petryk, William G. Billamy, and Floyd Berrigan
Description
Title Proper | F0 GR0419 BOX 507 FILE 22C |
Date(s) of material from this resource digitized | 1942 |
General material designation |
From this file, LOI has digitized one textual record or image.
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Scope and content |
File contains entire Appeal Book for Rex vs. Robert Hughes, John Petryk, William G.
Billamy, and Floyd Berrigan, for the murder of Yoshyuki Uno on 16 January 1942 in his family’s confectionary store at 305 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver. Hughes fatally shot Mr. Uno during a robbery. The four men had robbed another store
called "Chapman’s" prior to their arrival at the Uno business. All four men pled not
guilty. Yoshyuki’s mother, Oiyo, brother Yukio, and sister Yaeko were among the witnesses
called to testify. A Mr. Tanaka was briefly mentioned during the direct examination
of Detective H. Whalen but ultimately not called to testify. In the Charge to the
jury the court described the Uno business as “humble” before reminding them that “I
know of only one law in Canada that is administered, and that is the law administered
through the whole of Canada, and of course that law protects all alike, the last,
the loneliest and the least, just as the greatest and noblest and the best, and therefore,
this Japanese is entitled to every consideration at your hands just as the four accused
men in the box are entitled to every consideration in your deliberations when you
decide whether or not they are guilty of this crime.” (Page 280 of pdf.) The jury
came to a verdict of guilty but recommended “the strongest possible pleas for mercy
for the four men.” (Page 309 of pdf.) All the accused were sentenced to death, including
Petryk, who was 17 years old on the day of the murder. Hughes responded to the sentence
with a tirade: “I hope you guys are happy and feel good because you want to string
up four boys for some lousy Jap.” (Page 310 of pdf.) Appeals were filed in May, and
the Court of Appeals granted new trials on 30 June.
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Name of creator |
The Provincial Government of British Columbia created this archive.
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Immediate source of acquisition |
The digital copies of the records were acquired by the Landscapes of Injustice Research
Collective between 2014 and 2018.
This record was digitized in full.
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Structure
Repository | British Columbia Archives |
Fonds | Government Records Collection |
Series | Attorney General |
Sub-series | F0 GR0419 BOX 507 |
Metadata
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Title
Rex vs. Robert Hughes, John Petryk, William G. Billamy, and Floyd Berrigan
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Source: British Columbia Archives
Terminology
Readers of these historical materials will encounter derogatory references to Japanese
Canadians and euphemisms used to obscure the intent and impacts of the internment
and dispossession. While these are important realities of the history, the Landscapes
of Injustice Research Collective urges users to carefully consider their own terminological
choices in writing and speaking about this topic today as we confront past injustice.
See our statement on terminology, and related sources here.