Feb. 7. By Dave Yochum. A Cornelius Police officer killed in the line of duty 75 years ago will finally be recognized on the North Carolina Department of Justice roster of fallen officers.
Ralph Alcorn White
Officer Ralph Alcorn White, who died on Dec. 31, 1942, was 40 years old when he was electrocuted while responding to a call.
A patrolman, White came into contact with a downed power line near the intersection of Catawba Avenue and modern day Main Street.
Back in 1942, the duties of Cornelius police officers also included restoring power to the town following storms.
Meanwhile, Hitler was in power in Germany, Hirohito in Japan. The British destroyer Achates sank in the Battle of the Barents Sea Dec. 31, 1942.
On this particular New Year’s Eve, there was no ball drop in Times Square. Instead there was a moment of silence for the troops fighting in World War II.
And White was on duty in Cornelius.
A strong storm had knocked out power near the textile mill in the center of town. Officer White got the call, arrived on the scene and came in contact with a line that had been previously cut and left bare at a water pump that provided water to the mill.
He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
He left a wife and three children, including daughter Betty Moore, who is now 87 years old. Cornelius Detective Sergeant Tracy Crosby, Detective Corporal Dan Waltman, Detective Brad Nichols and Detective Gina Patterson researched the incident and found Betty in Mooresville.
Her father has also been added to the National Officer Down Memorial Page, a non-profit organization dedicated to honoring America’s fallen law enforcement heroes: http://www.odmp.org/officer/23551-patrolman-ralph-alcorn-white
The Cornelius Police Department plans to continue to research Officer White and honor his service to the town.
