John Lawrence Werner

John Lawrence Werner was born in New York in 1874 (per his headstone), the son of Ellen J Flaherty and Jacob Werner. He was enumerated as living with his parents in Westchester County in 1880, 1900 and 1905 - in 1880 in Harrison, in 1900 and 1905 in the neighbouring town of Rye. In the 1900 US Census and 1905 New York States Censuses he was described as working as a livery man, like his father. Or - maybe not so much exactly like his father.

Circus historian John Polacsek graciously supplied the following information from a collection of letters received by Lewis Hoffman, a circus manager in Bridgeport, Connecticut (Circus History Message & Discussion Board, Message Archive: Message 4075 and subsequent replies, Sep 2012):

Just some additional notes on John L. Werner's circus history which traces back to 1901. On July 18, 1901 John L. Werner of Rye, New York wrote from his livery stable that "this is to certify that the Goodrich, Hoffman & Southey Show Company has this day leased the show property belonging to John L. Werner consisting of 4 work horses, 1 mule, 2 donkeys, 2 ponies, one 4 horse harness, 2 harness, 2 pony harness, 3 pony carts, 6 uniforms, 10 plumes, 1 gale light, 1 Tally Ho coach and the services of Mr. Werner is included in the consideration for the weekly rental of $50.00". In February 1902 John Werner wrote Lewis Hoffman that he had a prospective buyer for some circus equipment. He also noted that when it rains it pours. "I got in trouble down here trying to help somebody else and it cost my folks only $125.00 to settle it. I have been away for 2 weeks not because I wanted to but because I had to."

The Goodrich show was in winterquarters at Rye and Werner noted that the man who owns the barns stated that after the first of April he would need to move the circus property. In April 1902 the Goodrich Railroad Shows went on the road with Goodrich, Hoffman & Werner sole lessees and operators. The checks for the circus included Werner's name, but most of the other contracts for the show were left over Goodrich, Hoffman & Southey paper. By June 20, 1902 the three car railroad circus reached Providence, Rhode Island. It was there that a number of attachments were served on all of the shows owners and the property seized. One June 23 one of the show's lawyers wrote Lewis Hoffman that he following were to be seized by the constable - 2 black horses, one set of double harness, one tent, one pony, and one ticket wagon and contents. He also noted that "this will leave in the officer's hands besides Werner's property some live stock and other things belonging to the co-partnership". In September 1902 Werner wrote to Hoffman that he did not have any big horses to pull the circus wagon, and that he was trying to get extensions on the show's outstanding bills.

On November 24, 1905 [John] was the proprietor of the Sound Beach Livery & Boarding Stables in Sound Beach, Conn. He also owned Werner's Transfer Storage Company which stored among other things automobiles, carriages and furniture. He wrote to his friend Lewis Hoffman, a circus manager in Bridgeport, Conn about his recent trip that he and his wife took to visit Hoffman. They were unable to find his address on Baldwin Street on a rainy night. On December 12, 1905 John wrote to Lew noting that this property has been sold and I have until March 1 to vacate per the new landlord Mr. Charles E. Ferris of Sound Beach. John wrote on January 1, 1907 that he had a wagon show with a 100 foot round top, seats, parade wagons, harness, plums, portable ring, saddles, etc. a complete show. The equipment was in good shape, no seedy worn out stuff. He stated that he was in the game for the 1907 coming season and would be willing to take on a partner. He was located at the circus winter quarters in Rye, New York and his address was P. O. Box 172, Rye, New York. So Werner had a circus in 1906, whether he did spot dates or was out on a route is unsure, and was planning on going out in 1907.

Sound Beach is an older name for what’s now called Old Greenwich. It’s 15 km NE of Rye along the Long Island coast, so it doesn’t seem unreasonable that someone might live in Rye and own property in Sound Beach. Bridgeport is further along the Long Island coast, 52 km from Rye. The mention of a wife is interesting, because I have no records or family history indicating that John (my great granduncle) was married to anyone else before he married Annie Theresa Hearn (my great grandmother). Marital status was not recorded on the 1905 New York State Census. So does "wife" in this context mean someone John was married to or does it simply indicate a very close lady friend?

On October 7, 1907 Lewis Hoffman received a letter announcing John L. Werner presents Herzog's High School Horses - Brought to this country from Europe for Barnum & Bailey and direct from the New York Hippodrome. The letter was from Chicago, Illinois noting that Werner had received the $10.00 from Hoffman before he left Jersey. He was presenting the horses on the stage and one horse did a cake walk while two dogs did a grapevine in and out of his legs. On November 26, 1907 Werner wrote from Seattle, Washington that he was over 3,000 miles away. He was now on the Sullivan & Considine Circuit and they controlled 83 theaters out west. Werner's route was for the week of Nov. 25 - Seattle Wash., Dec. 2 - Vancouver B.C., Dec. 9 - Tacoma, Wash, Dec. 16 - Portland, Oregon then to Frisco or Helena, Montana. Werner was proud that he was "first to introduce a 4 horse act in this country on the stage and so far it is a big hit." His act had been on the east coast for four years and he was of the opinion that he was not coming back east since he "can do better in this Golden West". From Vancouver, British Columbia Werner wrote Hoffman on December 4, 1907 that his circus equipment that was on lease had all been returned although the 2 chariots were in rough shape. In July 1908 Hertzog's High School Horses performed at the Michigan State Fair in Detroit, Michigan.

At some time before 1906, John made the acquaintance of Rudolph John Heise and his wife, Annie Theresa Hearn Heise. Rudolph was interested in horses, an interest he usually expressed by losing large amounts of Annie's money on them. Annie herself was said to be a fine equestrian (Sag Harbor L.I. Corrector, 18 Jan 1902).

Frank M Wells, a lawyer whom Annie had hired to assist her with her financial affairs, wrote in a letter to Annie's uncle William H Hearne dated 28 Jan 1909: "[Annie] introduced me to Mr. Werner about three years ago [i.e. 1906] and informed me that he had on many occasions protected her against her brutal husband. He was formerly a friend of Heise and in the livery business. I have known him to be successful in his business, although of speculative tendency, wholly abstemious as to intoxicants and tobacco and all around square young fellow..." (Case on Appeal of Heise v Wells, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, 15 Jan 1912, pp 170-171).

Annie separated from Rudolph 06 Aug 1907 (Case on Appeal, p 92) with Wells' assistance. Wells had Rudolph placed in a sanitarium and put Annie on a train for Portland, Oregon (p 117). His intention was that Annie would establish Oregon residency and obtain a divorce in that state (pp 170-171). Annie's fourth child Edwina Ruth Heise was born in Portland 04 Feb 1908.

Thus when John arrived in Portland 16 Dec 1907, he would have been able to meet Annie there. I'm not entirely sure this was coincidental. Did Annie lobby to be sent to west coast knowing that John was headed that way? Or did John head for a circuit on the west coast knowing that Annie was there?

By February 1908, John and his horses were back in San Francisco (Billboard, 01 Feb 1908 and 21 Mar 1908; Port Chester NY Chronicle, 12 Mar 1908). And at some point, to Wells' dismay, Annie too left Oregon for California and began proceedings to obtain a divorce there instead of Oregon (Case on Appeal, pp 170-171). It seems plausible that Annie followed John to California. Per Frank M Wells, writing 28 Jan 1909: "I am now satisfied that her purpose is to marry Mr. John Werner as soon as possible."

John was back in San Francisco in the summer of 1909 (Billboard, 31 Jul 1909). The issue of Billboard published 30 Sep 1911 included a notice that, "Harry E. Loomes, care Briggs' Riding Academy, Philadelphia, Pa., would like to know the whereabouts of John L. Werner, who has a horse act, known as Herzog Stallions. Werner sometimes goes under the name of Hall." (This is the only reference I have to John using the name Hall.) I know that John spent the winter of 1911/1912 in Pittsburgh and that he stored tents and tent apparatus in Rye during this period (Rye NY Chronicle, 27 Apr 1912).

On 23 Mar 1912 Billboard reported that: "Hunt's Silver Plate Shows have consolidated with the John L. Werner Trained Animal and Wild West Show. The big top will be a 90 foot, with two 40 foot middles; sideshow, 60x90; dressing room, 40 foot round top; horse tents 30x55 and 28x45; cook house, 22x32. Thirty head of draft stock, besides the trained stallions and ponies will be used. The program will include the Herzog stallions, Werner's seven trained bears, two high school menage acts, tandem riding set, riding bear, trained dogs and ponies and throwing donkeys, the Hunt family in ground and serial acts, and Cayuse Jack, with five Wild West performers. Chet Brown will have charge of the advance, and J. G. Morrel will lead the big show band of eight pieces."

On 03 May 1913 the Rye Chronicle reported excitedly on the upcoming "big Wild West show." "At 2:30 this afternoon and again this evening, Oklahoma Bill's performances will exhibit, and as 'Bill' is none other than John Werner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Werner, of Purdy avenue." Besides being presented circus acts and the "latest and best Wild West show" to marvel over, "any resident of Port Chester or Rye or even Harrison having a balky or unbroken horse and desiring to see some fun is invited to bring it to Oklahoma Bill's wild west show and let the cowboys there break it up." This hardly sounds like "fun" for the horse.

John may have gotten his younger brother Charles Alois Werner to try circus life. The roster of Oklahoma Bill's Wild West Show reported in Billboard 28 Jun 1913 included John L. Werner as manager and "Charles L. Werner" as secretary. If "Charles L." was Charles Alois, however, he was back in Rye in time to be enumerated in the 1915 New York State Census.

It was sometime during the period 1911-1914 that John married Annie Theresa Hearn. Annie's divorce had become final 20 Jun 1910 (Case on Appeal, p 118), but she stated before a court that she had not married again in Mar-May 1911 (p 203). The earliest year for which I have evidence that they had married is 1914.

Next: Annie Theresa Hearn and John Lawrence Werner.