Colonial Despatches

Bernard Rice was an Irish-born miner who worked in Yale, B.C. during the Fraser Gold Rush.1 Rice was shot and killed on 24 December 1858 by a gambler named William Foster during a dispute that began when Rice became intoxicated, and [refused] to pay for two glasses of liquor.2 Oddly, no one stole any of Rice's possessions and his body was found with a Bag Containing Gold Dust value 69 Dollars and 50 Cents--In Silver Coin One Dollar & 85 Cents and a Colt Revolver, along with an additional 400 Dollars, that were given to the authorities.3 Rice's mother, Elizabeth, attempted to claim her son's possessions but had trouble contacting Justice of the Peace Peter Brunton Whannell who was in charge of his case.4 Authorities also had trouble apprehending Foster, who was found guilty of murder, as he had crossed the border, putting himself beyond the reach of British Justice.5