Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-16
CHILDREN REVEAL
JAPS' CRUELTIES

found to exist In Chicago, when two
little Japanese children. boy and
a girl, who according to their story.
had been cruelty beaten by their mas
ter, were found wandering in Jackson
park and were given shelter at the
Hyde Park police station.
The two had been bought from
their parents In Japan. according to
their statements, which were corrob-
GRATED by fellow slaves held in the
house from which they had run away.
They were as much the property of
their master as ever were the negroes
of the south in ante-bellum days, and,
IL their story proves true, they were
more cruelty driven than the field
hands in the old cotton plantations.
Yoshi Wakahama, the boy, IA years
old, told the police that he, with
Otome Tamaka, also IL years old<
were purchased from their parents for
s25 each In 1907 and brought to Amer
lea as members OF an acrobatic troupe.
As the property" Of Kumatra
Namha, Wakahama said, they were
allowed about IS cents a day for their
wages as tumblers and were given one
meal day, Namba explaining that
| as the children were acrobats they
| should not eat heavily
At the Namba home eight other
children were found, none of them
over IA years old. Asked about the
alleged cruelty practiced they said
in the presence Of their master that
they were treated well.
AS the reporter was leaving the
house two men rushed from the Nam
ba home and asked that they be al
lowed to tell some Of the tortures in
master could not hear them.
Taxi Enangyka, or Taxi Nakoma,
as he Is known on the stage, unfolded
a shocking story Of alleged cruelties
practiced by Namba-
Those poor children!" he exclaim-
ed. referring to the two found is
the park. Il told them to run away.
The little girl was practicing a diff
cult act-turning somersaults on a
pedestal less than a foot square
and fell and hurt her head. The scar
shows on her face yet. Namba pick
ed the child up from the floor and
threw her into a corner. She was
stunned by the fall. AS soon as she
had recovered consciousness Namba
beat her with a stick.
Il endured these tortures myself
until l was Of age. l was bought for
$50 from my father and brought to
America. At the immigration Office
was told to say that l was a profess
sional actor, and so got through al
right.
"One night, after we had played
in Chicago for some time, I fell in
one of my acts. and as soon as l got
behind the scenes Namba beat me
until my cries brought the theatre
manager. failed again a few days
later and was tied by my thumbs to
two nails in the wall.
"Namba's gymnasium at the back OF
his house is a chamber of torture,
continued Nakoma, who has been il
America about IL years. There il
not one OF his boys whose body a
some time has not shown the marks
of a severe beating"
Yuiki Kamaichi, formerly a member
of the Namba family, as the troupe i!
called, corroborated these statements
He is living at 2917 Prairie avenue
quarrel over the disappearance o.
the two children.
At the time Wakahama and Otomt
Tamaka were brought to Americ;
from their homes in Japan three 9th
er children left their native land ant
were sold to Namba, it is declared
They were all taken to the Nambi
home at 1927 East Seventy-first street
and were trained as acrobats.
Namba, according to his own state
. ment has been purchasing children
! from poor parents in Japan for l.
: years. He declared he had purchased
: girls for $12 and boys for prices rang
ing from $50 to $75 each.
Wakahama, Namba said, he dis
covered turning "handsprings" on tn
streets of Toxic The head of til
' acrobatic troupe bought him for 50
" to bring to America The girl he foun,
at the same time and bought her 70
the same price. Two weeks ago, h
said, he received letter from Otome'
mother asking the return of the chile
but he sent her $40 in American MOI
ey instead.
. All the children are adopted, az
. cording to the Japanese custom, bt
fore being brought here. All thei
j earnings go into the pockets of Nan
ba, but he explained: Whenever the
ask for a nickle or 10 cents / give
to them to do with as they please"
At the Hyde Park station the ruI
away children were visited by r. I
Tanimoto, secretary of the Japanes
Mutual Aid society, and YoeIhi Schimit
!. gu, chancellor to the Japanese consu
here. Both promised that the storie
told by the children would be invest
gated.
The children will remain at tn
i Hyde Park station pending an invet
tigation.
I Quick Relic. for rheumatism
1