USA > New York > Bronx County > History of Bronx borough, city of New York : compiled for the North side news > Part 29
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RANDALL COMFORT was born in this district when it was the old Town of Morrisania. . In 1892 he graduated with honors from Columbia College. After making a tour of the
RANDALL COMFORT
greater part of Europe, he entered the New York Law School. three years subsequently receiving his diploma as attorney and counselor and becoming a member of the New York Bar. In addition to his professional duties, he has given much of his time to literature, making a specialty of examining and photo- graphing historical subjects. Finding the upper part of Man-
WILLIAM J. MILLARD
HARRY OVERINGTON
CHARLES LEWIS ULLMAN
J. J. HYNES
205
HISTORY OF BRONX BOROUGH
hattan Island fruitful in relics of the past, he has devoted a part of his leisure in carefully exploring its many antiquities, occasionally giving the results of his works to the public press, or through the medium of lectures to the various historical and civic societies of New York City. He has contrived to inter est his fellow citizens, as they have never before been interested, in this his favorite work, showing to them that they had in their midst many charming reminiscences of ante-Revolutionary days. which had hitherto been overlooked or entirely forgotten. In the Bronx, amid the cascades and deep recesses of its large parks he has discovered old Indian caves and fortifications and has given them a local habitation and a name. While not forgetting the manor houses of the Morris family, he has sought to bring into prominence the earlier homes and haunts of Bronck and his fellow burghers, the first settlers of the wild forests north of the "Harlem" River. In a few words he has made his own section of Greater New York historical.
PETER ASHWIN SHIEL .- Prominent as a successful and able lawyer throughout the Borough of the Bronx, and the Alder- man of the Forty-fourth Aldermanic District, was born at Ford- ham, New York City, May 31, 1874. He is a graduate of the Williamsbridge Public School and Manhattan College and New York Law School. As a lawyer Mr. Shiel is a careful and judicious counsellor. His practice is general and owing to his ercat success in securing his trial and other cases, he has built up a large and influential clientage, besides commanding the
PETER ASHWIN SHIEL
respect and confidence of the judges before whom he appears. A: a representative of the people in the city legislative board he was an active and vigorous worker for the rights of the 1 cople, and for the advancement of all public improvements, par- ticularly for such legislation that applies to the progress of the Borough of the Bronx. Mr. Shiel is a Joyal Democrat and a member of the Knights of Columbus. Through his constant .gration and persevermee an extension of the Rapid Transit Setem has been adopted on White Plains Avenue through Wil- hansbridge and Wakeheld.
JOHN DAVIS, the second son of Thomas Davis and Isa- bella Mercer, was born on July 3, 1859, on his father's farm near Hillsborough, County Down, Ireland, which has been in the possession of his family for over two hundred and fifty years. He is a descendant of John Davis, who, with two brothers, emi- grated to Ireland from Wales in or about the year 1650 and settled in County Down. Thomas Davis, the Irish patriot and
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JOHN DAVIS
poet of the Young Ireland Party, was a descendant of one of these brothers. John Davis attended the Maze School and com- pleted his education in 1876 at the Boys' School, Hillsborough. working in the meantime on his father's farm. He had been destined by his parents from childhood for the ministry of the Presbyterian Church, but the illness and subsequent death of his father prevented the fulfillment of this design, and on Jans- ary I. 1877, he entered the office of W. H. Milligan & Co .. a manufacturing house in Belfast, Ireland, where he remained until August, 1882. On the 19th of the same month he sailed for the United States of America, landing in New York City ten days later, and on the Ioth of September he secured a clerical posi- tion with a mercantile house. On November 1, 1886, Mr. Davis accepted the offer of a position as clerk in the office of Rox & Strong, attorneys at law. the firin comprising Hon. Elihu Root. present Secretary of State; Theron G. Strong, Samuel B. Clark and Charles F. Mathewson. Here he remained until the dissolu- tion of the firm, when he became managing clerk for the law firm of Strong, Harmon & Mathewson, a position which he ze- tained until the partnership was dissolved on October 1. 1Sos. since which, time he has been practicing alone. In the meantime he had studied law, and had been admitted to the bar on No- ember 24. 1803. In March, 18So, he changed his place of dence from Manhattan to that part of the Bronx which is noww known as the Thirty-eighth Aldermanic District, where he s:1
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ERNEST R. ECKLEY
خلسة
JOHN FRANCIS O'RYAN
Mal iny
ANTHONY J. GRIFFIN
EVERETT L. BARNARD
207
HISTORY OF BRONX BOROUGH
resides. While he is a general legal practitioner, Mr. Davis has devoted himself very largely to practice in the Surrogate's Court and to real estate business, and through honesty, indus- try and sound common sense has acquired an extensive and lucrative clientele, recruited to a great extent by his neighbors in the Bronx, who have learned to place reliance on his judg- ment and to follow with confidence his advice in business mat- ters. In politics Mr. Davis is a Democrat, with independent views. He has been for some time, and is at present, chair- man of the Citizens' Union organization of the Thirty-eighth Aldermanic District, and is recognized as an advocate of the non-partisan administration of municipal affairs, but he has never run for or held a public office. He is a charter member of the Bar Association of the Borough of the Bronx, a member of the Cay Club of New York, of Suburban Council of Royal Ar- canum, of the Masonic Order, and of the Longwood Club. He cares little for social functions, his principal recreations being golf in summer and bowling in winter. He is a Presbyterian in faith, but attends the North New York Congregational Church. lle is married, and has four children, Thomas G., a medical student at Cornell University; John and Isabella Mercer, stu- dents at the Morris High School, and Franklin S., who is in the graduating class of Public School No. 31, Borough of the Bronx.
MICHAEL J. COONEY, a prominent lawyer of West- chester Village, Borough of the Bronx, was born in Ireland April 19, 1865. He was graduated at the law school of the University of New York and admitted to the bar in the State of New York in 1901. For the past nineteen years he has been
MICHAEL J. COONEY
a resident of the Borough of the Bronx; he has built up a very arge and successful law practice. He has always taken a deep merest in political matters, and has always been active and prominent in local politics. In 1904 he received his party's .nomination for Alderman and after an exciting and at the same time gentlemanly canvass was defeated by a small margin. competitor. Frank Gass, has been in office since annexation Aiways a sterling Democrat, he is one of the active members of the well known Chippewa Club. On March 6, 1892, Mr.
Cooney married Miss Veronica Hallett and has two children, Genevieve and Raymond Cooney. By his pleasing personality Mr. Cooney has made himself very popular in the community. and as a successful advocate he is considered to be one of the most promising attorneys in the Borough of the Bronx.
FREDERICK HOBBES ALLEN, attorney, formerly Corporation Counsel of Pelham Manor, and now president of the village, has been a resident there about twelve years and is one of the notables of that vicinity. He is a son of Hon. Elisha 11. Allen, who, at the time of his death, in January, 1883, was Minister Plenipotentiary at Washington from the Hawaiian Is- lands and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps at the National Capitol. Mr. Allen himself was born at Honolulu, Hawaii, forty-four years ago. He was sent to school in his youth in Switzerland and Germany and graduated from Harvard with the degrees of A.M. and LL.B. During his father's term of service he acted as Secretary of Legation and charge d'affairs. On his father's death he came to New York to practice law. He is chairman of the Democratic Committee of Westchester County. He be- longs to the Country Club of Westchester, the Union, Demo- - cratic, Knickerbocker and Reform Clubs of New York, and to the Society of the Colonial Wars and Sons of the Revolution. He married, June 30, 1892, Miss Adele Livingston Stevens, of New York. They have six children, two boys and four girls.
WILLIAM J. MILLARD, attorney, of 1585 Washington avenue, Bronx, has been an assistant corporation counsel since 1898. He was born in Chester, Orange County, N. Y., and prepared for college at the Yonkers High School. He gradu- ated from Columbia University-the regular academic course -- in 1894 with honors, and from the New York Law School in 1898. He was admitted to the bar that same year. Mr. Millard has lived here nine years. He is a Democrat and member of the Jefferson Tammany Club of the 35th Assembly District, a charter member of the Bar Association of the Bronx, a mem- ber of the Psi Upsilon College Fraternity, the Masonic Order. and the A. O. U. W., and of the Methodist Episcopal Church He was married April 25, 1899, to Miss Edna L. Kirk. His down town offices are in 119 Nassau Street.
HON. WILLIAM EPHRAIM MORRIS, of Fordhan .. in the Bronx, is an ex-Assemblyman of the State and City Alderman, and as an old campaigner in public affairs one of the most conspicuous figures of the borough. He is the son of the late William E. Morris, a well known comedian who, for many years, was a member of the firm of Morris Brothers, proprietors and managers of several theatres in Boston, Pittsburg and St. Louis. He was born in Boston, Mass., in 1858, educated in the public schools of that city, and subsequently attended the Law School of the New York University, class of '86. At the age of 17 he was enrolled in Troop "MI," Seventh Regiment, U. S. Cavalry, commanded by Gen. George A. Custer; participated with Reno's Battalion in the battle of the Little Big Horn (Cluster Massacre), June 25 and 26, 1876, incurring therein a gunshot wound of the left breast. He also participated in the campaign against the Nez Perces in 1877, serving under Gen. Nelson A. Miles. Ile is past National Commander of the Regular Army and Navy Veterans, and a first Lieut. of the 69th Regiment, N. G. S. N. Y. ; also of Fordham Council, No. 1412, Royal Arcanum. and Aeric No. 40, Fraternal Order of Eagles. He was admitted to the bar of this State in 1886, and has practiced law in this city continually since then. lle represented the 35th Assembly District in the Legislature of 1900, and among other measure.
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HON. WILLIAM EPHRAIM MORRIS
THOMAS C. PATTERSON
FREDERICK HOBBES ALLEN
209
HISTORY OF BRONX BOROUGH
introduced and secured the passage of a bill appropriating $10,000 to pay the employees of this city who served in the Spanish- American war their per diem, or other wages, while in the service of the United States. The major portion of said appro- priation was paid to residents of the Bronx. He advocated the passage of the bill to make the Borough Presidents members of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, also all measures in the interest of organized labor, and opposed the Mortgage Tax Bill and the bill to tax savings bank accounts. Mr. Morris settled in New York twenty-seven years ago, and has had his home in the Bronx for ten years. He is a staunch and devoted Democrat, a man whose opinions have weight in the party coun- cils. He married December 7, 1879, Miss Sarah Kench and has one son living, Win. E., Jr.
AUGUST P. WAGENER is one of the best known lawyers in the metropolitan district. He was born in the City of Phila- delphia April 5, 1850. At an early age he moved to New York City, where he was educated and began the practice of the law in 1870. Mr. Wagener lived for many years on the East Side, where he built up a large and lucrative practice and made many warin friends, which he still retains. He moved to the Bronx
AUGUST P. WAGENER
11 1900 and opened a branch law office at No. 297 Alexander Avenue. His main office is situated at 49-51 Chambers Strect, where he remains every day until 5 p. m. Mr. Wagener has taken an active part in Republican politics and in 1892 ran for Congress against the late S. S. Cox, and although polling a large vote was defeated. Mr. Wagener is considered a careful and conscientions attorney and held in high regard by the members of his profession.
MICHAEL J. SULLIVAN, lawyer, and a member of the local school board for District 23, has held with credit other of- ficial positions. He was an attache of the Tenth District Court,
under Judge McCrea for six years, and was assistant district at- torney of New York County three years. He was born and brought up and went to school here, and has been a man of note in his profession for a lengthy period. He was born March 30 1868. In his youth he attended the Christian Brothers school in the old town of Morrisania and St. Jerome's school at 138th Street and Alexander Avenue, and he graduated from St. John's College, Fordham, in 1888. He graduated from the New York Law School, Columbia College, in 1889, and was admitted to practice the same year. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus', the Catholic Benevolent Association, the Brownson Catholic Club, Schnorer Club, and the Bronx Bar Association. On July 3, 1895, he married Miss Addie A. McGrath. They have two children living, a boy and a girl and one dead.
ERNEST R. ECKLEY, attorney, of 43 Wall Street, Man- hattan, is a resident of the Bronx with large real estate interests of speculative character in that borough. Although now a highly successful practitioner and business man besides, his start was not effected without heavy personal sacrifice. In 1892 while reading law, he acted as night operator in the Tremont Tele- phone Exchange and at the same time was clerk during the day for his present law partner, G. M. Brooks. Mr. Eckley was born March 3, 1874. He attended the Brandin Graded School up to 1892 and then began to study law in the New York Law School. In 1895 he took the examination, received his degree, was admitted and began practice. In 1904 he joined the Bronx Bar Association. He is a director of the Eckley School, Brook- lyn, treasurer of the Eckley Dental Supply Co., and a trustee of the Mt. Hope M. E. Church. He is a Republican in politics ; as yet, unmarried.
THOMAS C. PATTERSON .- Mr. Patterson is more of less actively identified with politics in the Bronx, though not an office holder. He is a Democrat and a member of Tammany Hall, the Jefferson Club and other party organizations. He is a lawyer, and as such a member of the Bronx Bar Association, and, among other bodies, is enrolled in the Gentlemen's Sons' Club, the Cortlandt Bowling Club, the Royal Arcanum and M. E. Church. Mr. Patterson was born December 18, 1862, in Brantford, Canada. He is a graduate of the High School at Point St. Charles. Montreal, Canada, and of New York Uni- versity, class of 1896. He has been a resident of the Bronx about six years. He has been twice married-to Miss Helene Lane, April 12, 1882, who died in 1891, and on October 18, 1893, to Miss Frances M. Durschany. By his first marriage he has one child living. Herbert Cecil; by the second. three, Thos. Conrad, Henry Lawrence and James Andrew. Mr. Patterson was First Lieutenant Company C, 12th Regiment. N. G., N. Y., and received many medals for sharpshooting; he also possesses the State Sharpshooters' badge-a high distinction. This badge was awarded in ISot. He saw active service in the late Buffalo rail- road strike. Mr. Patterson is an inventor, and an expert in patent causes, and has several inventions in the Patent Office pending at the present time. Two of his inventions which have been granted are the cruller and doughnut cutting machine and a machinists' lathe-both being in general use.
SIDWELL S. RANDALL .- Sidwell S. Randall was born at Albany in the year 1838. In 1854 he came to New York with his father, who for fifty years was identified with the educational interests of the State and for a long time was City Superintend- ent of Schools in New York City. Sidwell S. Randall studied law with Henry Bennett in 1856, but other pursuits ocenpied his time and attention until about IS70, when he entered Columbia College Law School under the tuition of Professor Dwight and
210
HISTORY OF BRONX BOROUGH
was formally admitted to the bar in the following year. Long before this he came to Morrisania, and foreseeing its future growth and having a firm belief that this borough would in time rival Brooklyn in population, he entered heart and soul into every local improvement that would further its interests. Though successful in lowering the rates of fare on the Harlem Railroad, he felt that the true solution of cheap and frequent transit be- tween the upper and lower parts of the city would be better pro- moted by the Elevated Railway, and so he gave his strongest efforts in that direction. He is a firm believer in and a strong advocate of the New York and Portchester Railroad, having no doubt of its ultimate success in securing a right of way through the Bronx. Earnestly opposing the plan of making the Harlem River a ship canal, Mr. Randall maintains that this stream should be filled up so as to make Bronx Borough a component part of Manhattan Island. Latterly, when his profession permits, he has occupied his leisure time in strong efforts to secure a sys- tem of small parks throughout every section of this city in order
SIDWELL S. RANDALL
to make Greater New York the most beautiful as well as the largest city in America. For forty-four years he has resided on Franklin Avenue, near Mckinley Square, where he has scen that part of the city change from farm lands to one of the most thickly settled portions of Greater New York.
HAROLD CHARLES KNOEPPEL .- A young and talented lawyer, was born in the Borough of the Bronx August 6, 1875, and is a graduate of the College of the City of New York and New York University Law School. He commenced practice in 1897, and since that time his practice has grown rapidly, until the present time, his clientage includes a large number of our most prominent business men, both of the Bronx and Manhattan. He is a painstaking advocate and a very suc-
cessful one for his clients; he is highly esteemed by the judiciary of the upper and lower courts, for the masterly manner in which he presents his case and his briefs, and is also popular with the members of the bar for his eminent talents, his gentlemanly
HAROLD CHARLES KNOEPPEL
courtesy and the well earned success he has obtained in his profession. Mr. Knoeppel is a Democrat in politics, but never sought for or held any public office; he is a member of the Masonic Order, the Royal Arcanum, the Schnorer Club, and the Bronx Bar Association. On September 24, 1899, he mit. ried Miss Elizabeth H. Brinckmann and has three children,
CORNELIUS J. EARLEY, LL. B.
Louisa E., Harold J. H. and Edward A. He resides at 866 Southern Boulevard, Borough of the Bronx and has law offices at 5 Beekman Street, New York City.
CORNELIUS J. EARLEY. LL.B., son of John and Katharine ( Dougherty) Earley, of Irish descent, was born at Elizabethport, New Jersey, on April 17, 1870, and was grady-
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211
HISTORY OF BRONX BOROUGH
ated from De La Salle Institute. New York. June. 1888. He studied law at the Law School of New York University, where he was a member of field chapter of the Greek fraternity Phi Delta Phi and was graduated in May, 1891, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws and was first honor of his class, there being fifty-seven graduates. At the age of eighteen, he entered the office of Hon. William J. Lardner, Deputy Attorney General of the State of New York, and was admitted to the bar when twenty-one years of age on April 7, 1892. From October, 1893, until May 1, 1825. he was Assistant Corporation Counsel of the
JOHN P. DUNN
City of New York, under Hon. William H. Clark. Sinee the 'atter date he has been engaged in the private practice of his profession. He is one of the counsel to the Roman Catholic Chancery office and of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York. In polities he is a Demoerat and was chairman of the Democratic General Committee of the Thirty-fourth Assembly District, Borough of the Bronx, during the years 1897 and 1898. fte is a member of the Catholie Club. Knights of Columbus, the Brownson Club, Tallapoosa Club, Bronx Democratic Club and Bronx Bar Association. Mr. Earley has been very success- iul as a jury trial lawyer in the higher courts, having won a number of important cases in the Court of Appeals involving large verdicts. He has been especially successful in libel and Runge litigation. He was married on June 21, 1898, to Miss . Rose Marie McDevitt, and they have five children, Gladys, Jack, Eunice, Cornelius, Jr., and Bernard J. Earley. His city home is at No. 680 East 130th Street, Bronx Borough, New York City: his summer home is at Blue Point, Great South Bay, Hope Island, and his office at 271 Broadway. New York City.
WILLIAM G. MULLIGAN. prominent lawyer of Bronx Borough, was born at Exeter, Otsego County, N. Y., Mareh 5, 1862. After a careful preparation for college he entered Hlamil- ton College, Clinton, N. Y., graduating therefrom with high honors in the class of '86, being awarded the Mckinney prize in deelamation and debate. In 1892 Mr. Mulligan was gradu- ated from the New York University Law School, being selected as the valedictorian of his class. For the past twelve years he has been a successful practitioner of the legal profession in Bronx Borough. Mr. Mulligan is a consistent Democrat, al- though he has never sought or held office, preferring to devote his attention and time to his ehosen profession. He is a promi- nent member of the Democratic Club; Theta Delta Phi Club and of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church. On June 27, 1892, Mr. Mulligan married Agnes K. Murphy, daughter of Captain William Jay Murphy, U. S. Army. Mrs. Mulligan is regarded as one of the most brilliant as well as one of the most suecess- ful real estate operators in the Bronx. She also possesses a bright legal mind and has been unusually successful as a law-
WILLIAM G. MULLIGAN
yer. Five children have been born to their happy wedlock, viz: Agnes, Virginia. Alethea. Eileen, (deceased) and Alleine. Mr. Mulligan is one of the solid, substantial citizens of Bronx Borough and is universally respected and esteemed for his many sterling qualities. His office is at ;27 Tremont Aveune.
JOHN P. DUNN. Assistant Corporation Counsel of the City of New York, was born July 2, 1800. in New York City. Hle graduated from Public School No. 64 in 1875 and then en- tered St. John's College, from which he was graduated in 18So After taking a post graduate course he received the degree of A. M., from his college and then entered the law offices of Morgan
r
212
HISTORY OF BRONX BOROUGH
J. O'Brien, now presiding justice of the Appellate Division, First Department, New York Supreme Court. He received his degree of LL.B. from Columbia College Law School in 1885, and after- wards was admitted to the Bar. He was appointed Assistant Sec- retary of the Fire Department of the City of New York in 1887
and Assistant Corporation Counsel in 1889. He organized the Bureau of Street Openings in 1803 and has been the head of that bureau ever since. He is president of the Fordham Club and a member of the Manhattan, Catholic, Graduates and Schnorer Clubs.
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The Original Building of the First Presbyterian Church of Tremont
View of Tremont in 1854
CHAPTER XLI
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
The Personal History of Many of Those Who Have Been and are Prominent in the Life of the Bronx and Have Aided in its Development
JOSIAH ACKERMAN BRIGGS, Civil Engineer and Sur- weyor, is Chief Engineer of the Borough of the Bronx, under the President of the Borough. This office he has held since 1902. Other important positions which have been his are the following : Surveyor and Assistant Engineer Department of Public Parks, 1879 to 1891; Chief Engineer, Construction Department, Street Improvements of Twenty-third and Twenty- fourth Wards, 1895 to 1898; Chief Engineer of Highways, Bor- ough of the Bronx, 1898 to 1902. Mr. Briggs was born in West
JOSIAH ACKERMAN BRIGGS
Farms. He was educated in public and private schools of the borough and has lived here all his life. He is a member of the Reformed Church, Manor of Fordham, of the American Society of Civil Engineers, of the North Side Board of Trade, the Fordham Club, Jefferson Club, Schnorer Club and Royal Ar- canuin. He married, March 15. 1876, Miss Julia Wheatly. They have had six children, of whom four, one boy and three girl,, are living.
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