George Martin Church - famous jockey of yesteryear
George Martin Church was the son of Lyman C. and Rachel Ann Moore Church. George was born 26 Sep 1866 in Black Hawk, Co., Iowa and died August 1891 in New York, New York. He became quite the jockey.
The following are newspaper articles pertaining to George Church:
From THE REPORTER Friday December 19, 1884, Emmetsburg, Iowa:
“Robbed for $600
From the Chicago Herald of Dec. 14.
About 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon a full grown youth who had scarcely emerged into young manhood called at the Des Plaines street station and inquired for the officer in charge. He was accompanied by a neatly dressed colored man, and upon making his business known was shown into the private office of Captain Bonfield, The latter was on hand, and after a prolonged conference the young man and his companion departed as quietly as they came, accompanied by Detective Ried.
His name was George Church, and from subsequent developments the object of his rather mysterious visit to the station was to, if possible, recover a reasonably large amount of money which had been stolen from him while a passenger on the Pennsylvania road; between this city and the East.. He is said to be a professional jockey, attached to the Lorillard stables at Brighton Beach, where he has acquired some reputation as a rider of high mettled racers and attracted the favorable notice of well-known turfites, including among others, that of Fred Archer, the famous English jockey, at present visiting in America. On Thursday night he left Jersey City for Emmetsburg, Iowa, to spend the holidays with his parents. The colored man accompanied him in the capacity of servant. His money, amounting to $600, with which he was to purchase presents for his kindred, together with other valuables, he placed under the pillow of the section he occupied in sleeping-car No. 429 of the Pennsylvania road. The first night out they were undisturbed. Yesterday morning, upon arriving in Chicago, he
neglected to recover his money, upon leaving the train at the Fort Wayne depot. After a brief absence, as the story runs, he realized his negligence and returned to the depot to discover his money missing.
Supt. Kianey at once instituted an inquiry for the valuables alleged to be missing, but after a thorough search of the car and inquiries of those in charge, failed to obtain any clue to the missing deposit. He made the closest investigation possible and came to the conclusion that Church had been robbed, though by whom could not be learned. As a last resort Church applied to the police, but with what result has not yet transpired. The impression was that he would continue the trip Westward, as he was provided with the means so to do, and await developments.”
From The New York Times, 24 Sept 1899;
The following is from a news section titled
"With the Sportsmen
Afield and Afloat"
“AN OLD SHEEPSHEAD VICTORY
How Bandusia Beat Los Angles-A Stable Boy's Luck.
Some of the old-time racegoers, who always look over the pedigrees of the horses in a race before they play it, were reminded on Thursday at Gravesend of a lively incident that happened at Sheepshead Bay about twelve years ago when they came to the name of J. C. Colt's chestnut gelding Van Ship, who won the two-mile steeple-chase handicap. They recalled how the usually careful jockey Isaac Murphy was for once caught napping, and incidentally the almost insane joy of a little colored boy who ran around the lawn with his old felt hat filled with crisp banknotes.
In the Belles Stakes at Sheepshead Bay Sept 7, 1887, Bandusia, the dam of Van Ship, was a sprightly two-year-old. She was not much thought of as a contender in the races, but she had a rare turn of speed for a short distance. Los Angles, "Lucky" Baldwin's entry, was an odd-on favorite for the race, and was ridden by Isaac Murphy. The despised filly Bandusia was quoted in the betting at 100 to 1. She was ridden by George Church, probably the best lightweight jockey this country has ever known, but who, like Murphy, is dead now, and she was out in front the moment the flag went down for a start.
In the stretch, Murphy, who loved to ride a grand-stand finish, ranged up along-side of her with Los Angles, and the latter evidently had the race well in hand when within a furlong of the finish. But Murphy had no idea of showing up Los Angles, who was the best filly of her year, in her best form, and he fooled around with Los Angles in the belief that he would easily outride the boy on Bandusia at the proper moment. He had not noticed, however, that the boy on the leader was George Church, or he might not have been so careless. Church saw his opportunity, and went to work with hand and heel on his mount, landing her a winner by a nose from the favorite.
There was a condemnation on all side for Murphy after the race, but there was joy in A. J. Cassatt's stable, where a little colored boy who rubbed the filly had watched with saucerlike eyes the victor of his charge. The little colored boy had saved $20, and before the race he went into the betting ring. He had been rash enough to believe that Bandusia could beat the great Los Angles, and he backed his conviction with his hoard. Burton, who was a character, even among the eccentric bookmakers of that day, laid 100 to 1 against Bandusia, and with him the colored lad invested his $20.
After the race the boy cashed in his ticked, and was paid in ten, twenty, and fifty dollar bills. He had more than he could carry in his trousers pockets, and the money--$2,020--was dumped into his soft black hat.
He was like a lunatic when he dashed along in front of the grand stand, his hat filled with money, and there was joy and watermelon in A. J. Cassatt's stable that night.”
From THE WORLD: Saturday, August 22 1891 (no indication of city's name, probably New York City)
“Church Is Decently Buried.
Even when George Church grew to be a man he was little. "Little Jockey Church," in Brighton's older days, was a chubby innocent. And how he could ride! But the life was too fast for him. A few days ago he lay a wreck among strangers. Death claimed him an easy victim. To insure his decent burial Al Adler has collected the following amounts: [the amounts won't copy]. Amounts add to $68.”
George is reported to have married on 26 Sept 1888 in New York to Ida May Van Keuren b. 1869, d. 1953. She remarried on 16 Oct 1901 in Waterford, New London, Connecticut to John Roe Ashcraft (Ashcroft) b. 1865, d. 1947