Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-08-29
ABOUT wild BILLS" WIDOW
She Was q Famous Woman in the
Show World.


The death Of Mrs. J. B. Hickok,
widow OF Abilene's famous, avid
Bill" took from earth woman Of
whom this generation knew little but
who in her time was notable in the
show world.
She was the first woman owner OF a
circus in this country and was the
first to adapt the drama to the circus
ring. She produced version OF
"Mazeppa" in which she took the
chief part. She was accounted the
best slack wire performer the saw
dust ring ever saw and she was also
an unusually skilled rider. Her
daughter, Emma Lake, now Mrs.
Robinson, has been the best "high
school" woman rider in the country.
Mrs. Hickok was born in Doehme,
Alsace, in 1926. Her parents name
was Mersman. They came to this
country when she was about 4 years
old and settled in Cincinnati. Vixen
Agnes was about II there came to
Cincinnati the famous Spalding y
Rogers's circus. 1t had with it an
attractive young fellow named Lake
who was clown. Agnes fell in love
with him. She ran away with him
and married him and from that time
on her life was linked inseparably
with the circus. He husbands real
name was Thatcher OF the widely
known family in Bordenstown. N. j.
Spalding & Rogers's show was one
Of the old "fioating palaces" that
went down the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers, tieing up at big and little
towns and at plantations where thous-
ands of slaves could be assembled.
A tug towed the outfit, which con-
sisted of an enormous barge on which
the ring was set and several hundred
seats were erected. 1t was paying
business. The young bride got tired
OF doing nothing on these journeys
and under her husbands directions
she practiced for slack wire per-
Torrance. See soon became SO ex-
pert at it that she was known
throughout the circus world as the
greatest in her line.
For nearly fifteen years she worked
with her husband. They saved their
money and in the late fifties her >hus-
band formed partnership with John
Robinson. Robinson & Lakes circus
followed. This partnership lasted
about three years, when each partner
went his way and Lake started a cir
Gus OF his own. 1t was Of the old
time variety, with forty or fifty
wagons. The performers slept on the
wagons at night as they went from
town to town. With the Robinson &
Lake circus there had been a small
boy named Gordon, picked up in a
hotel in Pontiac, Mich, to help
Frederick Bailey, one Of the chief EN-
ployees. He took Bailey's name
eventually. When the Lake show
was started Mrs. Lake insisted against
her husbands judgment upon max
the boy who had grown up, general
agent of the show. That boy was
the late James A. Bailey Of the Bar
mum & Bailey shows. Mrs. Lake con-
tinued to perform in the show.
In the early eos the great actress,
Ada Isaac Menken, had caused furore
N this country and Europe by her
performance of "Mazeppa." Mrs.
lake knew her and one time in Gin
,innati the Robinsons had lent Mrs. |
Menken horse for heI theatre act
when her own horse had broken
Town, Mrs, Lake studied the "Ma-
seppa" play carefully and being able
20 speak German went TO Berlin and
played the part for a winter with
treat success. Her husband stayed
It heme to run the circus. When
Hrs. Lake came back she adapted the
,lay to the circus ring.
The Lake circus used to strike out
or what was then known as the Far
Vest, Kansas and Colorado. The
'ircus stopped atEGranby, Mo-, one
lay while there Lake had trouble
With a desperate named Jake"
iillen, who sneaked up behind him
md shot him through the heart.
drs. Lake went on with the show and
made money.
One day in Abilene, Kas., wild
Bill" Hickok, the law and order man
or frontier towns, good fellow gener-