The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-26
MAN FOR THE BENCH
BRADY BETTER KNOWN IN REAL
ESTATE THAN IN Law.
A Director IN Corporations which Have
PrOnted by . knowledge OF the City's
Public improvement Plans-Was Re-
warded for His work nj Buffalo.

A Director In Corporations which Have
PrOnted by . knowledge OF the City's
Public Improvement Plans-was Re
warded for His work NJ Bunale.
Lawyers and others who have an interest
in the business of the courts are puzzled
by the nomination Of John J. Brady for
Justice Of the Supreme Court on the Murphy
Hearst ticket. Although he was admitted
TO the bar some twenty years ago he has
devoted most Of his time. il is said, 10 bust
ness and the practice OF politics rather than
OF law. In all the time that he has been a
lawyer the records of the courts show that
he has never appeared in q case Of irst
Importance.
But the records OF Tammany politics
tell a different story. Brady has been for
years one Of the most powerful allies Of
Louis F. Haffen, the Democratic boss OF
The Bronx who has been in supreme con-
troll there ever since the death of Louis
Heinz, who was the Commissioners Of I'm
p~rovements in the old Twenty-third and
Twenty-fourth wards.
When the T~hirtylffth Assembly district,
of which Haifen used to be the leader, was
divided into three districts under the recent
reapportionment a determined effort was
made to Gust Haffen from power by those
who had suffered from THAT they called
his autocratic rule. In the fight that fol-
lowed Brady was credited with being the
ablest and most active Of all Of Hafien's
lieutenan Is. Prior to this Haffen had
secured for him a fat job as COMMISSIONS
Of Taxes. AS a further reward, II is said,
Of Brady's services in the fight before
the primaries Haffen, who stood by Murphy
at Buffalo when sixty regularly elected
delegates were deprived Of their seats
in the convention. induced the Tammany
boss to give Brady one OF the Supreme
Court nominations.
Brady is reputed to have a large
fortune, practically all Of which he made
out Of the real estate transactions. He is
acorporation man being a director in several
real estate concerns and one bank. One OF
the corporations in which he is heavily
interested is the Geiszler- Haas Realty Com
pany. which is made up largely Of Demo
cratic politicians and which is credited
with having made large sums out Of prop
erty that was bought by the company just
ahead OF public improvements that had not
been announced until after the purchase
was made.
Since the company made its original
purchases the official nap OF the district
have been revised by the city with the re-
suit, it is alleged, OF giving the tract a favor
able frontage on the various streets and
that have been or will De opened
noe the company made its purchases
in the Clason Point territory there has been
a swing Of improvements over into the
eastern part of the annexed district. greatly
to the benefit Of this realty corporation.
Another of the corporations in which
MIR. Brady II heavily interested is the Sound
Realty Company. which owns a large tract
Of the Clason Point property. This tract
was only a swamp when the company got
il, and apparently without value. There
were no streets or sewers. but as soon az
the Sound company bought 1t plans for
the general improvement Of the section
we're rushed through by the borough gov
A sewer was built right into the
heart of the section and the Ian more than
doubled in value in one jump.
Brady, who vent to st. Johns College at
Fordham with Hafen, began his political
career az a Grace ward leader in the days
Of the County Democfacy. He put up
candidates In his district. who
got enough votes to defeat the Tammany
nominees. After Brady Joined Tammany
Hall he received numerous appointments
sit on street opening commissions at so
a session. Some Of the jobs paid ~exceedingly
we'll. Prior to that he had been council TO
Borough President Haffen, who took him
in with a view Of gathering into his growing
organization all the old Grace Democrats
who were still unattached.
When Mayor Mcclellan was first elected
Brady had his eye on the Office OF Corpora
ton Counsel, but he had to b satisfied with
a membership in the Tax Board. When the
removed Park Commissions Schmitt,
in October. 1904. he a v the vacant post
to Brady, but returned him TO the Tax
holding on there.