New-York tribune., 1908-08-30
A MODERN PRODIGAL .
RRAM4N TALKS or son.
Released on Daughter-in-Lazc s
Chargc, He Tells of Boys Llfe.

yoseph b. Branan, who has practised law IN
,e,r York for thirty years and has offices at NO
1eo Broadway and At No. 127z Broadway. was non
orably discharged by Magistrate Barlow In 'eilei-
son Market court yesterday, where ne Was o.
,a,ered on the charge Of his daughter-in-iaw MIs-
ros.-,, z Brarnan who alleged that he had stolen
$40 from her when she entered his uptown ohlce
and started 70 smash the furniture Magistrate
BARLOW denounced the charge as an outrage. ana
committed the daughter-in-law TO the workhouse
for diso-derly conduct. He then suspended sen
ence and paroled her in charge OF the probationary
officer.
The court proceeding was climax TO many years
or ,rgc,ion between the elder Mr.. Rranan and his
son because Of latter's difficulties from Tune
20 time with the .police several states The lat
est trouble started when the daughter-in-law en-
tered Mr.. Brarnan's office on Friday night ana
made such a disturbance that he caused her ar
rest. AT the West 30th street station. Where ne
,renr &C cornnlaiuant against her he found his son.
Joseph C Braman- After Mrs. Bramans name mao
been taken she made the charge of larceny against
her father-in-law.
The elder Mr. Braman is thirty-second degree
Mason and a Mystic Shriner as well judge ad-
vocate of New York Commandery of the knights
Teuplar. He was bailed out within hour by
John L. Thomas, OF No. 161 West 3sth street A
bystander in the police station Informed him that
he had overheard Mr.. Braman's son tell the woman
70 make the charge Of larceny. When the matter
came up in court yesterday the magistrate ez-
claimed: Il will hear no charge against this man.
The whole affair outrage"
when the elder Mr.. Braman vas seen yesterday
afternoon he told strange story of "a modern
rrodigal SON. as he referred to Joseph c. Braman
Why" he exclaimed, when 1 coming out
Of court to-day that Young said 10 We'll.
how did you enjoy being locked up all nightg L
hadn't teen matter of fact. and | told him
he ought know more about jails than did.
He knew what meant. for he's been locked up
= number Of times IN the last ten years though
far i know he's never been convicted. HIS
mother. my wife VINO is at present visiting friends
in Massachusetts. has always befriended him and
got him out Of scrapes where wouldn't lift fin
ger sid him. because 1 think the punishment
would do him good"
Mr. Braman then gave a sketch Of the young
mans career the skeleton of which is file at
Police Headquarters He is naturally brilliant"
observed the father land he studied law for
ers1 wears but was never admitted the bar, al
though he has practised his nerve. He often
said when he young that anybody who works
for a living is q fool, and that idea has been his
bane."
In November 1897, young Braman was a commits
sioner of deeds in Massa chusetts and removed
by Governor Wolcott. The elder Mr.. Braman. who
Is a commissioner of deeds for every state in the
union, has experienced some annoyance by the
publication Of this fact, which concerns his son
only. About this time, according TO the father.
young Braman indicted for grand larceny,
having been charged with holding OUT s2 from
one John Smith, a client. He hoodwinked a Cen
fraI Office man." said his father, land got away
The case was settled out OF court.
"A trick OF which he afterward hoasted was one he
worked on his mother in 1928. She is notary public,
YOU know, and assists in my work He wrote
on the TYPEWRITER a recommendation for a clerk in
The Office who wanted another position. He also
made a carbon copy and asked his mother to sign
both of them saying that her name would SIGNIFY
more than his own TO prospective employer OF tle
clerk Nv wife wondered why she need sign both
hui she huu1ored him and did He kept his
carbon copy. as he afterward confessed and erased
ali the lines of typewritng- He told US after
uard that he didn't know whether TO I'LL in VIII
or a deed over her signature. but decided on a
deed making over all her property in Los Angeles
10 him. Then he said he was sick and persuaded
her 10 send him 10 California for his health.
I'm Los Angeles he employed seal maker 10
maze seal of the fictitious notary public whose
name he used in the deed. After the seal was naoe
h. toId the maker he wanted 20 take sample I'M
rression 10 show friend. The sample was
made on the deed. so he needed the stamp no more
snd never paid for it He thought this GOOD
ioke Then he recorded the deed, ana on lhe
strength Of Il mortgsged the property for so"
The elder Braman, with sigh. took from his
desk a great bundle of newspaper clippings OF lhe
period. These told Of the meteorlc career OF
.qcxnev Pve's Night Owl Burlesque and EHtraVa-
ysnza COMPANY" which young Braman organized
in Los Angeles after the mortgage episode Inc
Night Owls stranded at Phoenix Ariz, ana rye
an alias Of Young Braman, disappeared Inc lather
hacaroa srspicious and wrote TO legal acquaint-
ance in Los Angeles TO find out what ms son was
doirg when he learned OF the fake deed and
the mortgage the man who had given up s'o asked
for tbe arrest of the Night Owls angel he was
caupht In New Mexico, but the Governor refused
81 srant e.1radition papers. and he was set free
s71,e next we heard" said the father, was wfen
e cot sn trouble Denver. My wife sent MIN wv
= -e+ him out of IT. and the lawyer he had hired
.ool- the money and went off Oh a Spree spending
al, of II The lawyer got three years Tor that ana
NV wife sent another 500 order This time he got
ont of his scrape and came TO New York
n was shortly after his return that the news
raners exposed young Braman as the manager oi
a ap-iU factory" where wills were hlled out WIN
fake witnesses. The young man disappeared MS
farther said and that the chief complaining W.T.
ness is dead the matter has been dropped
..cin,e that f.rne" said the father, this young
man has led charmed life Men have come TO me
,ith ,I,e,,lzs they have cashed for him and have
told them TO go ahead and prosecute him If they
wanted TO- for I would not help him. Nothlng
seems 10 have come'of their anger. however About
e,gs,- months ago heard he had collected nearly
81 enn from liouor dealers in and about Rverhead'
o,, Island and acted as their counsel, although
,,o b.s never been a member OF the bar. After all
.ts. he has done ne caused his wife to complain
.vasrst me on q 1rumped up charge. But VIII not
.t.er,n- 10 prosecute either Of them. Even though
he has done this me, viii not repay him In
kind"
Al the fat OF Joseph c. Branlan No. ssa Fourth
avenue the doors were locked with heavy padiocks
enS nobody appeared 10 be in yesterday afternoon