Randolph B. Martine

Randolph Brant Martine (1844 New York City - March 30, 1895 New York City) was an American lawyer and politician from New York.

Life

He was the son of Theodore Martine, a grocer and realtor, descended from French Huguenot immigrants. He graduated from Columbia College in 1865, and from Columbia Law School in 1866.

Martine was a member of Tammany Hall but left in 1881, following the expulsion of Fire Commissioner Henry D. Purroy and Police Justice Andrew J. White, and joined the Anti-Tammany Democrats in New York City, first known as the "Purroy Democracy" then as the "County Democracy." In 1882, Mayor William R. Grace sent his appointment as a New York City Police Commissioner to the Board of Aldermen, but having a Tammany majority, the Board refused to vote upon the issue, and the office remained vacant.

In November 1884, Martine was elected on the County Democracy ticket New York County District Attorney. On taking office, he appointed John R. Fellows and De Lancey Nicoll as Assistant D.A.s, and Vernon M. Davis as Deputy Assistant D.A. Martine prosecuted Jacob Sharp and several Aldermen for bribery in connection with the concession for the Broadway Surface Railroad. In April 1886, he ordered to be arrested all the Ex-Aldermen who had in 1884 voted for the railroad concession, seven of whom were eventually convicted.

In November 1887, he was elected on the Tammany, County Democracy, Republican and Irving Hall (another faction of Anti-Tammany Democrats) tickets a judge of the Court of General Sessions, and remained in office until his death.

He died from "heart failure due to peritonitis" at his home at 2017, Fifth Avenue, NYC.

His only son, Randolph Brant Martine, Jr. (b. 1869), was appointed Deputy Assistant D.A. by De Lancey Nicoll in April 1893.

Sources

• THE VACANT COMMISSIONERSHIPS in NYT on May 10, 1882
• DENUNCIATIONS OF KELLY.; ANTI-KELLY-TAMMANY TO GO TO SARATOGA in NYT on August 1, 1882
• THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S AIDS in NYT on December 31, 1884
• ELEVEN TAKEN IN CHARGE; A GREAT HAUL OF THE BROADWAY ALDERMEN in NYT on April 14, 1886
• DE LANCEY NICOLL CHOSEN; PUT ON THE REPUBLICAN TICKET WITH MARTINE in NYT on October 26, 1887
• BOSS POWER OUTWITTED; TAMMANY PREVENTS THE PUNISHMENT OF MARTINE in NYT on October 27, 1887
• IRVING HALL'S SUPPORT.; INDORSING THE WHOLE OF THE REPUBLICAN TICKET in NYT on October 28, 1887
• RESULT OF THE CITY VOTE in NYT on November 9, 1887
• A Place for Judge Martine's son in NYT on April 19, 1893
• DEATH OF JUDGE MARTINE in NYT on March 31, 1895
• DEATH OF EDWARD H. MARTINE in NYT on July 29, 1899 (his brother's obit)
• EX-CONVICT SHOOTS WOMAN in NYT on July 15, 1900 (his niece's shooting)