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JAMES E. TATEM was born in Camden in May of 1876 to William A. and Anna Emley Tatem. There were at least two older siblings, a sister, Mary, and a brother, Edward, and two younger brothers, George and William H. Tatem. In 1880 the Tatem family lived at 101 North 7th Street. William Tatem was then a produce dealer. Sadly, he had passed away by 1887. The family was then living at 422 Henry Street in South Camden. The 1890-1891 Directory shows the Tatems at 619 South 5th Street, where older brother Edward Tatem also conducted a milk business. At the age of 24 James Tatem had married Ella Lummis. The couple resided with her parents, at 435 Beckett Street at the time of the 1900 Census. He had by this time already joined Camden's police force. James Tatem joined Camden's police department in 1899, an appointee of Mayor Cooper B. Hatch. He managed to avoid being discharged when Democrat mayor Joseph Nowrey was elected. When the Republicans returned to City Hall in 1905, new Mayor Charles Ellis saw "Smilin' Jimmy's" ability to calm a troubled situation, and by 1910 he was promoted to sergeant and by 1920 to captain. For much of Ellis' term James Tatem served as an an aide to the Mayor. He also served as a Justice of the Peace in the early 1920s. James Tatem remained on with the Camden police department when Mayor Ellis retired to become Postmaster in 1922. The following year Victor King was elected mayor. King also took a liking to the ever-diplomatic Tatem, and saw that he was appointed Captain of the newly created traffic bureau. When Commissioner Frank Hitchner, then the director of public safety, fired Chief Edward S. Hyde, Tatem was chosen to be the new Chief. James Tatem faced a daunting challenge in his new post, one that in retrospect he may not have been prepared for- not that many police officers of his generation were. Commissioner. He was an officer who came up in the 1890s and 1900s faced with the new organized crime model that took hold in America when Prohibition was instituted in 1919. That and his dalliance with the Democratic Mayor King foretold Chief Tatem's replacement. After a shooting in a downtown bar, the Bluebird Cafe, in late 1927, Commissioner David S. Rhone, the new director of public safety, took a more active role in the affairs of the department. Finally, on March 2, 1928 Mayor Winfield S. Price replaced Chief Tatem, appointing Captain Lewis H. Stehr Jr. as acting Chief of Police. This was a surprise to many, who had assumed that the popular Chief Charles T. Humes would get the post. James Tatem then retired on a full pension. It is worth noting, however, that his service to the city was recognized in that he had been granted a raise on March 1, 1928 which had the effect of locking in his pension at a higher amount. The marriage between of James and Ella Tatem appears to have been a stormy one. By 1910 the couple had separated, and he appears to never have remarried. He then lived with his mother, grandmother Elizabeth Emley, widowed sister Mary Gahan, and nephew Edward at 535 South 5th Street. James Tatem would remain at this address into the 1920s. Hr moved to 615 South 5th Street by 1924. James Tatem was still living there with his sister as late as April of 1930. The Census shows them living at 615 South 5th Street, next door to Camden firefighter Leonard Megee, and on the same block where he had resided as a boy. James Tatem's younger brother, William Howell Tatem, served as a member of the Camden Fire Department from the late 1900s into the 1930s. |
| Philadelphia Inquirer - October
30, 1897 Click on Image for PDF File of Complete Article |
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| Emma Zane - Eli Shaw - Wilson H. Jenkins | |
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| Henry S. Scovel | |
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| Dr.
William S. Jones - Dr. A. Haines Lippincott
- William A. Husted - Thomas Benkert Martin J. O'Brien - William Anderson - Charles Folwell - John Irwin |
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| Harry Delameter - O. Glen Stackhouse - John Foster - H. Frank Pettit | |
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| James E. Tatem - Frank B. Haines - Albert Fogg - John Painter - John H. Beard - Albert Hollingshead | |
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| William Stein - Charles M. Lane - Elwin Steen | |
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| John
Sinclair - Mrs. Anna Knight
Click on Image for PDF File of Complete Article |
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Camden Daily Courier * September 25, 1899 |
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| Cooper
B. Hatch - William
Lyons - William Thompson -
A. Lincoln James -
Isaac Toy - James
Tatem Casper Hart - Thomas Brothers - John Anderson - George Purnell - Alfred S. Snow David Clark - Thomas Reed - Howard McPherson - Edward R. Thomas- John Zane - William C. Horner |
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Philadelphia
Inquirer September 26, 1899 Cooper B. Hatch |
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Philadelphia Inquirer - December 13, 1903 |
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Philadelphia Inquirer * March 30, 1907 |
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| James Tatem - George Cooper - Charles H. Ellis |
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Philadelphia Inquirer Dr. H.H. Sherk Cooper
Hospital North
2nd Street
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| Philadelphia Inquirer - November 14, 1909 | |
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| Frank Ford Patterson Jr. - James Clay - George Cooper - Fiore Troncone Edmund Pike - Walter Stanton - Oscar Weaver - Albert Shaw William Schregler - James Tatem - Edward Hartman |
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| Philadelphia Inquirer - January 14, 1910 |
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| J. Oscar Weaver - George W. Anderson - James Clay - Edward S. Hyde James E. Tatem - Charles Whaland - Howard Smith - George Cooper Albert Shaw - Harry Mines - Elbridge B. McClong |
| Philadelphia Inquirer - October 4, 1912 |
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| James E. Tatem - O. Glen Stackhouse - Charles Caffrey - Harry Virtue Roberts Street - North 36th Street |
| Philadelphia Inquirer - August 25, 1915 |
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| Caleb B. Williams - Royden Street - Rev. Dr. John Handley Broadway Methodist Episcopal Church - Rev. J.H. Townsend Rev. D.B. Green - John A. Stockton - James E. Tatem James E. Hewitt - Ralston Sickler - John Baker - Harry Dease St. John's Episcopal Church |
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Philadelphia
Inquirer December 4, 1917 Police Beneficial
Association - Camden Day Nursery |
| CAMDEN DAILY COURIER - JANUARY 4, 1922 | |
Charge
Detective Murry Protected Vice  |
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| John B. Kates - Walter Keown - George Ward - Howard Fisher James E. Tatem - Elisha A. Gravenor - E.G.C. Bleakly Anthony "Babe" Paradise - "Pye" Calletino - William Draper Tony Latorre - Ira Hall - George V. Murry - Harry "Dutch" Selby Gus Davis - Albert "Salty" Cook - Ned Galvin - James Wilson Sycamore Street - Pine Street - Rosetta Blue - Deena Howard Minnie Draper - Harry Knox - Blanche Martin - Jesse Smith Antonio Pelle - Ethel Murray - Paulo Genovese - Nazzara DeVecches Nino Mercandino - South 2nd Street - South 3rd Street - South 4th Street Ann Street - Baxter Street - Sycamore Street - Line Street - Pine Street |
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Philadelphia Inquirer - November 26, 1922 |
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E.G.C. Bleakly |
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This story erred in reporting, as retirement at age 65 was NOT mandatory at the time. William E. Albert, Richard Golden, Frank Matlack, and Edwin Thomas did retire. John Golden, John Painter, Charles Fitzsimmons, Thomas Brothers, and William Lyons continued to work in the Police Department. John Golden was eventually promoted to Chief of Police. |
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| Trenton Evening Times - June 27, 1923 |
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Elbridge
B. McClong
- Edward
S. Hyde - James
E. Tatem -
Victor S. King |
| Letter
written to Mrs. W.D. Black of Eubank, Kentucky by Captain of Detectives Edward S. King January 17, 1927 |
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| Edward S. King - James E. Tatem |
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Camden Courier-Post June 9, 1927
William C. Horner
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Camden Courier-Post * July 9, 1927 |
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| Harry Kreher - James W. Tatem - Motorcycles in Camden | |
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Camden Courier-Post * January 7, 1928 |
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JEWELRY CLERK HELD IN ROBBERY OF STORE Climbing to the roof of a shed in the rear of the Greenetz & Pellicoff jewelry store, 833 Broadway, burglars entered the shop early today and carried away $2,000 in loot. At noon today, Joseph
Shapiro, 29 years old, 215
South Fifth Street, a clerk in the store, was being grilled
by Detectives George
Ward and
Thomas Cheeseman, after being booked at police headquarters
as having been arrested “on suspicion.” August 29 four suspected
robbers were captured by police only a few minutes after they had
smashed the plate glass window and snatched a tray of jewels at the
same store. Policeman
John McTaggart
reported the burglary this morning. He is the brother of Policeman James
McTaggart,
who participated in the capture of the four suspects last
August. Included in the loot of the
burglars this morning were 35 watches left at the shop by their owners
for repairs. At the shop it was said the owners of the watches would be
reimbursed. Other articles stolen included 26 bracelets, 12 diamond bar
pins, 15 pair of earrings, three fountain pen sets, and six strings of
beads. At 7:30 this morning,
Patrolman McTaggert noticed several men standing in front of the
jewelry store. He learned that they had just discovered an open window
and, investigating, found the shop had been robbed. The watches and other
articles of jewelry were taken from trays and showcases. A safe in the
store was left untouched. The building next to the
jewelry store at 831 Broadway
is unoccupied and it was through this structure that the burglars
entered. They climbed to the roof of a shed at the rear, entered a
second story window and followed a corridor to an inner door of the
jewelry store, forced open the door, and entered. The capture of the four men
at the store more than four months ago resulted in commendation from
Chief James E. Tatem
for the three officers who participated. With Policeman Edward Smith
and Frank Truax,
Patrolman
James McTaggert took the four men at revolver’s point. The
men arrested at that time, still awaiting trial, are James Toner, 54
years old, 1204 Vine Street, Philadelphia; Mervin Campbell, 24 years
old, 2309 Carlisle Street; James J. Kelly, 25 years old, 2121
Brandywine Street; and Frank MacCrossan, 33 years old, of 1328 Pearl
Street. The proprietors of the store are Joseph and Michael Greenetz, 1468 Haddon Avenue, and Abraham Pellicoff, 1417 Haddon Avenue. |
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Camden Courier-Post * February 4, 1928 |
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POLICE INVITE BANDITS TO
NICE SHOOTING PARTY Wanted: Targets for Camden’s new desperado
eliminators. Bandits, burglars, snipers and their ilk are requested by
Chief of Police James
E. Tatem to apply at police headquarters Monday morning at 10
o’clock, when a practice shooting party will be held. Chief
Tatem said today Camden’s bandit-chasing squad is “just
rarin’ to go” with six new automatic rifles guaranteed to shoot full of
holes the toughest bandit in less time than it takes to say “Aligoop.” For the further enlightenment of the bandit
fraternity, Chief
Tatem announced detailed instructions on how to use the new
carbines will be given this afternoon at 3 o’clock to bandit chasing
police by Captain Arthur
Colsey and Herman Engle, a representative of Stein Brothers,
this city. The rifles arrived at police headquarters yesterday afternoon. They will be distributed in each of the city’s three police districts in the campaign to rid the city of desperadoes. The weapons can fire a magazine of 20 shots
in a few seconds. They will be mounted in the three red bandit chasing
coupes used by the district squad members. One of the coupes is now
being used by Archie Reiss and Vernon Jones
in South Camden, while two others are expected to be delivered within a
few days, according to Chief of Police James E. Tatem.
They will be assigned to
Walter Smith and Joseph
Carpani, First district detectives and Louis Schlam
and Richard Donnelly in the East Camden district. Swivel attachments make it possible to fire
the guns from a fixed point in an automobile. Detached they may be
fired from the shoulder. Besides firing a
magazine of 20 shots without stopping, they can be adjusted to single
fire, using .45 caliber cartridges. Instruction
in the adjustment and use of the weapons will be given today by a
representative of the company that sold them- at $175 each— to the city. |
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Camden
Courier-Post February 4, 1928 Anson
Kelley - James
E. Tatem
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| Camden Courier-Post - February 15, 1928 | ||
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POLICE
AXES PLAY DIRGE ON SLOT MACHINES
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Civic Center | |
| Camden Courier-Post - February 22, 1928 | |
| $225,000 FIRE RUINS 5 UPTOWN PLANTS | |
| RESIDENTS FLEE AS FLAMES RAGE IN BIG BUILDING Factory of Evans Leather Co. Saved by Valiant Work of Firemen APPARATUS IS DISABLED; DEBRIS BURIED FIRE PLUG Metal Stamping Firm, Textile Concern Heavy Losers; Pattern Shop Saved |
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 Thomas Nicholas - James Tatem Manuel Kane Harry M. Leigh - David Ellis Engine Company 2 Engine Company 4 Engine Company 5 Engine Company 6 Segal Street |
| Click in Images to Enlarge | |
| Camden Courier-Post - February 23, 1928 | |
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| Camden Courier-Post - May 5, 1930 | |
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| Joseph G. Ward Louis Street - Florence Street Decatur Street - Mt. Ephraim Avenue William G. Ritter - Peter English Walter Wilkie - Ralph Bakley Joseph Ward Sr. - E. Frank Pine Clifford Del Rossi - Theodore Guthrie Melvin Cain - William F. McGrath Sylvester "Wes" McGrath, City Detective Urquhart Ward - Robert Ward John Smith - Maurice Mensch Victor King - Michael Mathews James E. Tatem - Arthur Colsey |
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Robert Brennan - Marie Mackintosh - William H. Heiser -
Mary McCready |
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| Camden Courier-Post - June 11, 1932 |
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Princess Avenue - George A. Tatem Sr. -
George A. Tatem Jr. James M. Tatem - Mrs. Mabel W. Tatem |
| Camden Courier-Post - May 14, 1934 | ||
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Camden
Courier-Post Zuni
A.A. Dominic Radogna |
