On my recent trip to Nagasaki, I found the following article in the Nagasaki Express, Saturday 16th July 1870 p 106:
“KIDNAPPING EXTRAORDINARY – A daring and successful act of kidnapping was performed in our settlement on Thursday last, which for the boldness of its conception, and consummate impudence of its execution, proves that the perpetrator must be thoroughly proficient in his art.
The culprit was traced from the Golden Age and again to that vessel on her departure, taking with him the poor child he had stolen. It appears that this boy-stealer was travelling disguised as a gentleman; we understand that he mixed with the first class passengers, indeed, we hear, that at all moments and under all circumstances he would thrust his little self and his little grievances upon his neighbours – always unasked – and from the fact of not actually receiving a kick in reply, soon thought himself intimate with those he was travelling with.
On shore he still maintained his disguise until the last moment. He appears actually to have called, upon some of the residents, but from enquiries made by the Police we are glad to hear that – thanks to the day-light – their plate chests seem to have been left untouched; some own however to having lost their tempter – all their patience with this artful, talkative little thief who hid his ultimate intentions under the cloak of claiming sympathy for some deep grievance practiced upon him elsewhere – either in Yokohama or Shanghai. As night set in his true propensities seem to have come out: by importunity he introduced himself to the table of one of our residents and in return for this hospitality he kidnapped an intelligent, good-looking little boy! The theft was not discovered until too late to stop it, and the wonder in the settlement now is: how could this have been done? What charms could have been laid on the boy, what stupifying [sic] medicine made use of ? Serious apprehensions are also felt for the fate of the child himself: for what object has he been abducted? We trust not for any such purposes as those lately laid at the door of missionaries in China. But, if the boys eyes are not in danger, can we still think that the lad is safe in such hands?
As a warning to others who may be imposed upon by this same ravisher, we may add that in height he stands about five feet nothing, is of slight frame, has a small head, but a very large nose which, he is continually obtruding into other people’s affairs: he has a special liking to surnames only: speaks much and wildly, and can always be recognized from the traces left on his weak intellect by a late illness of Supreme Court on the brain. “
He did apparently later return the child.
Does his appearance match?
If Tannaker was the William Nevell who enlisted in the 18th Hussars, then he was 5 foot 4 1/2 inches – more than “five feet nothing”.
The photograph which might be of Tannaker with “Otackee” and two other women and the newspaper sketch of him show someone of a slight frame with a small head – nose is average?
“Special liking to surnames only” – a reference to Tannaker’s preference for using Tannaker as his name rather than William or Frank (or Buhicrosan?).
Speaking much and wildly. There are many accounts of his amusing and verbose narration, in supposedly broken English, during performances.
Timing
How long would it have taken him to get to Japan, and was there any conflicting record of him being in Britain?
There is an account of Tannaker giving “an oral accompaniment explanatory of the performance in broken but perfectly intelligible English an insight into many of the customs of Japan, poking fun by the way, in a quiet unsophisticated manner that was very pleasing, at several of our insular fashions” in Greenock, in April 1870.
if he arrived on the Golden Age, this was part of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and was in 1870 sailing from from Yokohama to Shanghai and then Nagasaki. It may have been met by San Francisco to Yokohama steamers such as the Japan. It’s likely Tannaker would have sailed to New York (7 to 10 days) then crossed America by rail to San Francisco (6 days). The journey from San Francisco to Yokohama took around 2 to 4 weeks. So this was approximately 6 weeks travel time, but it seems the person also spent some time in Yokohama and Shanghai according to the above account.
It’s likely, if it was Tannaker, that he would have left Britain by mid May, in order to arrive in Nagasaki by mid July.
21st May there was a review of the troupe in Ulverston – Tsurukichi and Hikonosuke were performing, and the butterfly trick was performed by the manager, Orantoroto, an Englishman.
There was also a report of Buhicrosan performing the butterfly trick and brick balancing in Tenby in August 1870. However, it was Hikonosuke who performed brick balancing, not Tannaker.
There are mentions of him performing, as an interpreter, in Britain from late September/October.
The need to go to Japan in 1870
Did Tannaker need to recruit new performers?
Advertising claimed the troupe were eight or nine strong by April 1870. Compared to Risley’s Imperial Troupe and the Great Dragon Troupe (12 to 13 performers) Tannaker’s troupe was smaller, and lacked child performers like Little All Right.
Cowsakichiro, a fire eater, had joined the troupe by April 1870 – may have been Cutswhoroge in August 1870. D’Alvini was also in the troupe until June 1870.
After much delay, and claims that they should leave Britain by April 1869 and then by April 1870, on 26th of June J Peters announced in The Era that, “four of the best performers of this well-known troupe”, “the Japanese Tycoon Performers”, had been re-engaged for a further twelve months. The remainder were to leave for Japan on the Coldinghame[1], on the 30th June, the term of their agreement having expired. Seems the four were Otake, Mitsuko, Otomi and Hikonosuke as they were still performing in January 1871. So Tsurukichi returned to Japan?
1st May George Gibson, who worked for Tannaker in Australia, placed an advertisement in The Era saying he was in London, looking to chaperone troupes, was about to return to Australia, and asking W Buhicrosan to get in touch for “news of importance.”
15th May – advertisement in The Era from a Mr Rigby, asking Mr Buhicrosan to get in touch to learn of an advantageous offer.
William Peppercorn/D’Alvini left the troupe in June 1870.
Thomas King’s Royal Tycoon’s Private Troupe (15-16 strong) arrived in Britain in July, and started performing at Crystal Palace in July, having left Japan in October 1869 and toured Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore, India.
Had Tannaker expected to add the Royal Tycoon’s Private Troupe members to his troupe, but Thomas King gazumped him? This may have been the cause of his complaints about what happened in Yokohama and Shanghai.
In any case, Tannaker took over the Great Dragon Troupe in February 1871.
In December 1872, Frank Tannaker Buhicrosan was fined £10 for child cruelty – a boy of 4 and a half, (or seven according to other accounts) entrusted to him to learn gymnastics (or his son according to other accounts), in Exeter. It was proved that on the previous Saturday, Tannaker had locked the boy up in a cupboard, tying his hands above his head to a nail. In this attitude he kept the poor child until midnight, and the boy was only released at the entreaty of the lodging house keeper.
There had been other instances of attempted child abduction involving the Matsui Gensui troupe, Professor Risley and Little All Right.
[1] The Coldingham did indeed leave London for Shanghai on 30th June, arriving Shanghai 30th November
Ninjin 