David 'Cap'
James, 1st Police Chief of Farrell, Dies
Headed Malleable's Protection Force in Later
Years
David
(Cap) James, who served as Farrell's first chief of police, died at
4:30 a.m. today [7 Jan 1956] in his home 1100 Negley St., Farrell, following a three
day illness. He was 84.
The highly regarded Farrell man
who, as one friend said, "was owned by everybody" affectionately
was nicknamed "Cap" by his legion of friends while working as a
police captain at the National Malleable & Steel Castings Co. He
headed the protection staff there for 32 years, from April 1917 until June
1949, when he entered retirement.
Mr. James was one of Farrell's
pioneer residents and had lived in that city for 51 of his 84 years. When
he was appointed chief in 1901 when the town was incorporated as the
Borough of South Sharon, the town had only one other policeman.
Born in Cleveland on Sept. 18,
1871, Mr. James was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs.
James James.
He was a charter member of the
Eagles Lodge of Sharon and was a member of the Maccabees Lodge.
Mr. James' first wife,
Catherine, died in 1931. He married his present wife, the
former Minnie H. Gardner, on Aug. 20, 1934.
Besides his wife, Mr. James
leaves behind three sons, Elmer M. of
Farrell, William M. and Leo
D., both of Sharon; five grandchildren and six great-
grandchildren. A daughter Mrs. Katherine
Edwards, died in 1950.
Sharon Herald
January 7, 1956