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James N. Templer, lawyer, of Muncie,
was born near Xenia, Ohio, February 8,
1836, and is the eldest son in a family of
eight children of George W. and Hannah S.
(Medsker) Templer. His ancestors emigrated from England in 1685, settling in
Loudoun and Prince William counties, Virginia, where, and in England,
representatives of the family yet remain. The
original name was Temple, and the final "r”
was affixed about the year 1750, by the Virginian branch. Mr. Templer acquired a fair
education at Liber College, and at eighteen
began the study of law, under the instruction of Judge Jacob M. Haynes, of Portland.
By teaching school at intervals he was able
to continue his studies, and in Ajpril, 1857,
was admitted to the bar. He opened an
office in Portland, but soon afterward
formed an equal partnership with Hon.
John P. C. Shanks, then a leading lawyer.
He remained in that connection for ten
years, enjoying an extensive and lucrative
practice. In 1861 Mr. Templer was elected
prosecuting attorney of the thirteenth judicial circuit, and held the office three
consecutive terms of two years each, seldom
failing to sustain his cases, and never having a judgment reversed by the supreme
court because of errors or inefficiency on his
part. His successes were usually the result
of hotly contested trials; of which the opposing counsel were the ablest criminal
lawyers of the state. In 1871 he removed to
Muncie, and, with Ralph S. Gregory,
formed the successful law firm of Templer
& Gregory, which was long in the front
rank of the bar. This law firm continued
until November, 1880, at which time Mr.
Templer removed, with his family, to Colorado, and the firm ceased to operate as such
at that time. This removal was for the
purpose of regaining his lost health. He resided in Colorado, actively practicing his
profession in the state and federal courts
of that state, until January, 1885, when he
returned to Muncie again, becoming a partner of John F. Sanders, now deceased, the
firm being Templer & Sanders. This firm
continued until January 1, 1888, when it
was dissolved on account of the failing
health of Mr. Sanders. From that time Mr. Templer practiced his profession alone until
the last of January, 1892, when he associated
with him his son, Edward R. Templer, a
young lawyer of promise, and the firm then
became James N. Templer & Son. In 1868
Mr. Templer was nominated for contingent
presidential elector for the eleventh district,
in which he then lived, and made a canvass
of the same that contributed not a little in
giving the electoral vote of Indiana to Gen-
eral Grant. In 1876 he was again put in
nomination for presidential elector for the
sixth district, of which he also made a
thorough canvass, and secured thereby a majority of about two thousand in the district;
but, as the result is determined by the entire
vote of the state, his opponent was elected.
Mr. Templer was a Democrat until 1861,
when, following the example of such Democratic statesmen as Stephen A. Douglas, he
took strong grounds against the asserted
right of a state to secede, and in favor of a
vigorous prosecution of the war for the suppression of the rebellion and the
preservation of the Union. This course identified
him with the Republican party, with which he was afterward connected. He has declined
to be a candidate for congress,
although often solicited to serve. He has
long been connected with the Masonic fraternity, has heen high priest of the chapter,
and now is a Knight Templar. In Odd Fellowship he is a member of the encampment.
His name is also enrolled on the records
of the Improved Order of Red Men, the
Knights of Pythias, and the Murphy
Temperance Club. Mr. Templer married,
October 4, 1857, Ann, eldest daughter of
John J. and Mary A. Adair, and they had
five children. Mrs. Templer died in the
spring of 1874, of consumption. Mr. Templer was again married July 9, 1876, his second wife
being Mrs. Susan Kilgore, widow
of the late Hon. Alfred Kilgore. |