The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-23
M LAKE. FIRST WOMAN
CIRCUS OWNER, DEAD.
Was at One Time Champion Woman
High Wire Walker and Famous
Bareback Rider.

JERSEY CITY. Aug. 22.-Mrs. Agnes
Hickock. better known as Mrs. Agnes
Lake, died last night at 791 Montgomery
street, this city, the residence of her som
G.. Robinson. who was the son
of the old-time circus man. John Robin
son. Mrs. Lake. as she was known gener-
ally, would have been 81 years old today.
She was the first woman owner Of n circus
In this country and was the first to adapt
the drama 10 the circus ring. producing
a version of ''Mazeppa," in which she
took the chief part herself. She was ac-
counted the best slack wire performer
the sawdust ring ever saw. She WINS also
an unusually well-sldlled rider. Her
daughter, Emma Lake, now Mrs. Robin
son, has always been regarded as the best
High School" woman rider In the country.
Mrs. Lake was born in Doehme, Alsace,
In 1872 Her malden name was Mersman.
Her parents came to this country when
she was about 4 years old and settled in
Cincinnati. One brother later went to st.
Louis, where he died several years ago,
a millionaire. A sister married into the
Katterborn family, of Cincinnati, a family
well-known In the grocery trade In that
city. When Agnes was about II there
came to Cincinnati on one of It's periodic
visits the famous Spolding q Rogers
circus. 1t had with 1t an attractive
young fellow named Lake, who was a
clown. In those days n clown was a man
of keen wit, generally well educated. good
looking and a fairly good singer. He was
Of the stump of man that court testers
used to be made.
Agnes fell in love with him, ran away
with him. married him. and from that
H. - IL 2aAfaa +
with the circus. Her husbands real name
was Thatcher. OF the well-know famlly OF
B~ordcntown. N. ].
Spaldine & Rogersis show was one OF
trs old floating palaces that went down
the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. tieing up
at big and little towns and at plantations,
where thousands of slaves could be as
sembled. A tug lowed the outfit, which
coL sisted of an enormous barge, on which
the ring was set. and also big enough to
erect several hundreds of seats. 1t was a
business. The young bride got tired
of doing nothing on these journeys, and,
under her husbands directions, she prae-
tised for a slack wire performance. and
soon became SO expert at 1t hat 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 sos her husband formed q
partnership with John Robinson. and Rob
inson & Lakes circus followed. rms
partnership lasted for about three years.
each partner went his way, and
Lake started a cirt us of his own. 1t was
Of the old-time variety. with forty or nifty
the performers sleen.ns In the
wagons at night as they went from town
to town. With the Robinson & Lake cir
Gus there had been a small boy lame
picked Up in a hotel at Pontiac,
Mich. to help out Fred Bailey. n OF the
chief employees. He took Bailey's name
When the Lake show became
one of itself Mrs. Lake insisted. against
her husbands Judgment, In making the
fellow. who had grown mp. general
agent OF the show. That young fellow
the late James A. Bailey. OF the
Barnum & Bailey show. Mrs. Lake con-
tinued to perform in the show. she not
walked the slack wire. but rode In the
ring on a spirited horse and helped out
In the management. The Lakes hau a
home back Of Coyington, KY
across the river from Cincinnati. ana there
Mrs. Lake taught her only daughter Emma
now to ride.
In the early sixties the great actress,
Ada Isaacs hlenken. had caused a frrorc in
his country AID Europe by her perform
,nces of "Mazeppa." Mrs. Lake knew her,
nd one time. in Cincinnati, the Robinsons
had lent Mrs. Menken n horse for her the
TIRE act when her own horse had broken
She studied the "Mazeppa play
carefully, and being able to speak German,
vent to Berlin and played the part for a
with great success. Her husband
at home to rrn the circus. When
Lake came back she adapted the play
o a circus ring. She had some acting, |
ought with the prince, and at the proper
ime was tied on the white horse. which
vas trained to dash madly around the ring
everal times and finally run into the side
eDt. It was a grea. hit, and the Lakes
nade a lot of money
The Lake circus used to strike out for
What was then known as the Far West,
Sansss and Colorado. The circus stopped
I CRANKY, Mo-, one day, and while there
AXE had trouble with a desperate named
Killen. who had had one eye shot ont
! a Western %enGaunter. They used TO
I've a concert" D ter the show. Killen !