The Tong wars
Sixteen years after Wo Fen Game was hanged at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary for a triple murder, an even more bizarre slaying took place within the Chinese community of St. John’s.
On the morning of July 3, 1938, Kilbride farmer, Gordon Stanley, found the body of Eng Wing Kit hanging from an iron bar in the kitchen of the Regal Café, which was located on Water Street west in St. John’s. The finding set into motion an intensive investigation by the Criminal Investigation Division of the Newfoundland Constabulary, which saw every member of the Chinese community in St. John’s interrogated, finally leading to the arrest of Quang John Shang of Duckworth Street.
The bizarre killing was referred to by some journalists as “The Tong Murder” because of the ceremonial way that the killing was carried out.
Wing Kit, known by friends and neighbours as ‘Charlie,’ was found strangled and hanging from a piece of iron pipe, which had been laid from the kitchen table to the stove. A knife penetrated the area behind his voice box and his throat had been slashed. A flour sack had been folded and tied around his neck with twine, obviously to prevent bleeding. A circular piece of flesh had been cut from his chest and there were large bruises on the chest and upper left arm.
The murderer then tied three bands of rope around Wing Kit’s neck, raising the victim’s head about a foot from the floor and tied the rope tightly to the iron pipe. Several segments of the rope were used to carefully fashion the figure eight.
The thirty-five year-old victim was a native of Hi Ping, Canton, China. He came to Newfoundland on July 8, 1931, leaving behind his wife, two sons and two daughters. Upon arrival in Newfoundland, he first settled on Bell Island where he operated a small restaurant, until it was destroyed by fire in 1936. Moving to St. John’s, he purchased the Regal Café from Tom Yet Soon. The Regal Café was located on the site now occupied by Edward’s Drug Store.
The gruesome butchery was discovered by Kilbride farmer Gordon Stanley who delivered milk daily to the Regal. On the morning of July 3, 1938, Stanley entered the café, as he did regularly, through the unlocked front door and laid several bottles of milk on the table. He shouted, “Charlie! Hey Charlie!” but his calls were greeted with a deadly silence. Sensing that something was wrong, he cautiously walked towards the kitchen. A dimly lit light bulb cast an eerie glow over the gruesome sight that greeted him.
The lifeless body of Charlie, who was dressed in pyjamas and apron, was covered in blood, with his purple tongue hanging out. Stanley was horrified. Seized by sudden fear, he slowly backed away toward the main entrance of the café, thinking that the madman who perpetrated the crime might still be hiding inside. Once outside the laundry, he encountered Jim Reddy who joined him in looking for the police officer on the beat. The two caught up with Constable Spracklin near Leslie Street just as Spracklin was jumping aboard a street car.
Led by Spracklin, the trio returned to the Regal and the police officer made a quick examination of the premises before reporting the incident to Sergeant James Manderson at police headquarters. Within an hour, the place was crawling with police.
NEXT WEEK: “THE KNIFE”