The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-06-01
Hartford CourantReuie1us
 James D. Murray's Career

Attorney James D. c. Murray, formerly of Waterbury, who will de- fend Mayor Frank Hayes and others of the 27 indicted by the extraordi- nary grand jury is the subject of an elaborate article in today's Hartford Courant.
 Of the illustrious criminal lawyer whose fame is nationwide, The Courant has to say:
 When Mayor Frank Hayes goes on trial in superior court here on charges growing out of the grand jury Investigation, he will be de- tended by one of the country's most famous criminal lawyers and friend of many years.
 For James D. c. Murray, a former Waterbury newspaperman, it will be return of the native, for he was born here. He came back to Wa terbury last week 10 appear in court with whom he called my old friend"-when the mayor sur rendered on the bench warrant after the grand jury filed its report.
 Another current client is J. Rich ard Dixie) Davis, the disbarred at- torney who is facing charges with James J. Hines, Tammany leader, in connection with the policy empire of the late Dutch Schultz
 He rarely comes back to his na- tive city. The Murray homestead on South street, in the Washington Hill section, Is still the home of his two sisters, both school teachers, and where his brother, Most Rev. John G. Murray, archbishop of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of St. Paul and formerly auxiliary bishop of Hartford, visits when he comes home.
 T don't like the city. I hate crowds. I don't like people. I de- test collrtrooms," said Attorney Murray in an interview several years ago, yet year after year his name appears in the news and headlines as defense counsel in celebrated cases.
 He is most inex3iicable per- sonality," his interviewer wrote. For instance, he sat himself down years ago in Greenwich Village, a few doors west of that Bohemia of Bohemias, Patchin Place, and there he has remained - in the day time. At night, almost every night he goes to his home out in Rockville Center on the 5:29, and there he stays, !n the most sedate of atmospheres, growing middle-aged living with his wife and three children.
 The string of acquittals and dis agreements he has won in crimina. cases would cause envy to 'Bil' Fal- lon, to him the most brilliant law yer I ever knew if Fallon had not boiled out his glittering mind in the fleshpots of Broadway, and were here to look on.
 Murray looks like small town judge and talks and acts much like one. He is in his middle fortles, &C., cumulating fatherly gray around the ears, dressed in the most unos- tentatious cut of sober black, an in- conspicuous and ordinary tie, his whole apparel mixed with only one frill large diamond pin. His horn trimmed spectacles do not give him a scholarly appearance, but add to the paternal aspect - the most precious asset for pleader in crim- inal courts. The diamond adver- tises something substantial i'll pater- 1 familias.
 And he looks also like one oi those brisk country editors. He say: he wishes he were one, and that Il he had $200,000 to do 1t with ht would buy a broken down daily il fresh- water town of 50000 peopl and have the time of his life.
 His first job was that Of a re porter on the Waterbury Sentinel in the old days fine trainin; ground for newspaper men wh have done well in New York. Clea i'll his memory was what he did ol the day President Mckinley wa shot. His last edition was gone and hi seditors were out golfing. long distance telephone call from press association in New Havel ' broke the news. He raced onto tn links, caught his boss, and togethe they raced back and got out an ex tra.
 That was his last day in a news ,paper office. He went to Holy Cros College at Worcester, Mass. HI journalistic reputation made hir editor of the college paper. His el der brother. Joseph F. Murray, wh 4 represents some big corporations I Wall street now, urged him to com to New York and study law. H went to New York University fo two years and then settled down.
 His feeling toward the cit. crowds, people and courtrooms quoted from @ New York newspapt story written soon after he came ir
 to prominence in connection wit
 the murder of Arnold Rothsteil
 the gambler. in the Park Centri
 Hotel November 4, 1928.
 Attorney Murray defended Georp A. McManus, a bookmaker, who WI