The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1915-02-09
Death of John L. Semnle.


John L. Semple, a Camden lawyer
ended his life Saturday morning by
shooting himself. He died in a few
minutes.
Mr.. Semple lived at 800 Market
street, Camden. The two front rooms
on the first floor were used as offices
lawyer J. Harry Switzer having the
front room and Mr.. Semple the mid
die room. MI. Semple was alone at
the time of the shooting.
Mr.. Switzer was in the yard when
he heard the report of a pistol. When
he reached Mr.. Samples Office hefound
his fellow attorney lying on the floor.
The pistol lay on the desk.
Harry, l have shot myself; get a
DOCTOR" said the wounded attorney to
Mr.. Switzer.
Mr.. Switzer ran to the door. Alex
ander Millette vas passing and Mr..
Switzer requested him to get a doc
tor. Mr.. Millette found DIR. F. ]. W.
Marcy. DR.. Marcy found a spark of
life remaining, but said that it was a
mere revulsion and that the attorney
was beyond medical aid. He died
while the doctor was there.
Mrs. Semple, who was in the second
floor of her home, heard the shot and
when she saw what had occurred she
become distracted.
Semple had been crippled with
rheumatism; in fact his condition was
such that he had to be moved around
in an invalid chair. Of late he wor-
ried considerably over his condition
and a few days previous to his death
he told his wife that he intended to go
to a hospital and that she was to have
all of his personal effects, jewelry and
so forth in the event of anything hap
pening to him. Mrs. Semple is in
mystery as to how her husband obtain
ed the revolver, as she had no knowl-
edge of such a weapon being in the
house.
Mr.. Semple purchased the property
where he had his Office and residence
about a year ago. He remodeled it to
suit his business and as a home, and
was apparently well equipped to carry
on his business.
Despite his suffering Mr.. Semple
practiced his profession and recently
fame by a successful fight in the
interest of several hundred of proper
ty owners against the Camden Coke
Company for maintaining a nuisance.
The legal battle vas fought for near
ly two years and he won, Chancellor
Walker allowing a permanent %injunc-
ton against the corporation to re-
them from continuing the nuis-
ances complained of. The Camden
Coke Company abated the nuisance in
some respects, and Mr.. Semple has
been preparing to hale the officers of (
The corporation to court on charges of
failure to fully comply with the courts
writ of injunction.
Mr.. Semple was the son of John and |
Elizabeth Semple and was born at
Mount Holly October II, 1859. After
attending for some time a private
school at Mount Holly he graduated
rom Nazareth Hall, Nazareth, Pa,
and then studied for a year at an
academy in Philadelphia. He then
the study of law in the Office
If Frederick Voorhees, at Mount Holly
With whom he remained four years.
He was admitted to the bar in 1880
md was a counsellor, Master in Chan
cry and a Supreme Court Commits
'ioner.
In 1881 he opened an Office in Cam
len and several years afterwards he
associated with the late Judge
Alfred Hugo. In 1874 he was unex-
,ectedly brought into prominence
when he was assigned as defendants
counsel by Judge Garrison in a cele-
,rated murder case in which George
Norris was the defendant. He also
represented the defendant in eleven
murder cases and ten ended in a YER
lict of acquital for his clients. Mr..
won national fame in his fight
save Theodore Lambert, colored,
Who was executed for the murder of
William Kairer, a baker. He carried
his case to the United States Supreme
Court in such a way that he received
he commentator of the judges. This
the first ease of that character
.ver taken to that tribunal. His fight
prolonged Lambert's life for eighteen
months.
Nh. Semple wa involved in a case
where some counterfeiters were in
He was their counsel and an
attempt was made to show that he
implicated with them in circulat-
ng money that the men made while
Moyamensing. He was tried in the
United States court and was acquitted
If all guilt in connection with the af-
FAR. Some able men appeared against
nim, but they were unable to show
hat he had any knowledge of the
transactions. Mr.. Semple was de-
tended by the late Eckard P. Budd.