THOMAS J. THOMPSON, Justice of the Peace, was born in Philadelphia, where his parents settled soon after their marriage. His father, John Thompson, was born near Belfast, Ireland, and was of English ancestry, while his mother, Margaret Coleman, born in Belfast, was descended from Scottish Covenanters. Their religion was as their ancestry, one Episcopalian and the other Presbyterian. The subject of this sketch was taken by his parents when a child to Ohio, and he received his early education at the public schools of Dayton (at which place he was injured on the play grounds and crippled for life,) and Springfield, in that State. Passing from the High School at the latter place to Wittenberg College, at the same place, he finally completed his collegiate education at Williams College, with the class of 1874. The succeeding year he passed as principal of the Williamstown Academy, at the town where Williams College is situated. The next three years he spent in the study of law with S. A. Bowman, one of the leading lawyers of Ohio, thence he came to this city, in the winter of 1879, and was engaged as private secretary for Hon. Bluford Wilson, of this city. In the spring he was admitted to practice in the courts of Illinois, and since that time has been engaged in the practice of the law and in shorthand reporting. At the spring elections of 1881, he was elected a Justice of the Peace on the Citizens' and Democratic tickets, by a very complimentary vote. On entering upon the duties of his office he at once took a stand for reform in relations to the fees charged in such courts, and in consequence of that and an impartial discharge of his duties, is now enjoying a fair compensation. Mr. Thompson is now twenty-eight years of age, and expects, at the close of his present term of office, to return to the practice of law. He is, like most persons of Irish parentage, a Democrat in politics, and was Secretary of the Democratic State Central Committee during the late campaign, and will, no doubt be on hand for a similar work again, as with him it is a work of love.