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Illinois, — the latter for ten years. Semple 1848," now in its second edition, and a num ber of other pamphlets. He was a Colonel was a member of three Illinois General As semblies, twice Speaker of the Lower House, in the late war and Minister to Spain from also Attorney-General, Brigadier-General in 1862-1865. He and his son, G. A. Koerner, the Black Hawk War, Minister to Columbia, are engaged in practice together at Belleville, South America, and author of an elaborate Illinois. unpublished History of Mexico.

His son, Norman Higgins Purple born at Exeter, Eugene Semple, has been Governor of New York, March 29, 1808, came to Peoria Washington Territory. in 1837, was a Presidential Elector in 1844, Jesse B. Thomas, a member of the Con Jr., grand-nephew of stitutional Convention Jesse Burgess Thom of 1862, and Judge of as, held various State the Supreme Court offices, and was a from August, 1845, judge of this court for to December, 1848. about two years. He He edited "Statutes married the daughter of Illinois relating to Real Estate " in 1849. of Judge Theophilus W. Smith, and was Judge Caton in a the father of Jesse B. recent letter says of Thomas, a prominent him: "He was a law yer of learning, a suc clergyman. James Shields, born cessful practitioner, and at times elo in County Tyrone, quent. ... I often Ireland, in 1810, Au ditor of Public Ac heard it remarked by lawyers who practised counts of Illinois, Commissioner of the before him that he was General Land Office thefinestCircuitJudge who ever presided in under Polk, Brigadier and Breveted Majorthe State of Illinois. While we were on the General in the Mexi Supreme Bench to can War, United DAMON G. TUNNICLIFF. gether, . . . we handed States Senator at dif opinions to the clerk ferent times from Illi nois, Minnesota, and Missouri, was a judge for record without reading; previous to that time all opinions were read from the bench of this court almost two years. Gustavus Koerner born at Frankfort-on- before they were handed down, as is still the-Main, Germany, Nov. 20, 1809, was the practice in the Supreme Court of the graduated in law at Heidelberg, and studied United States. From that time on the prac American law at Transylvania University. tice was changed, and so far as I know, opin He has been twice a member of the Illinois ions have been handed to the clerk without Legislature, a Presidential Elector, and Lieu- the formality of reading them in open court." Judge Purple died in Chicago, August 9, tenant-Governor. He served upon the Su preme Bench from April, 1845, to December, 1863. 1848, when he returned to a large law-prac William A. Denning and Onias C. Skin tice. He is the author of " Das Deutsche ner were each judges of this court two years Element in den Vereinigten Staaten, 181 5- or more, each having been Circuit Judges