He was killed by 'misadventure' on a road near Wilmington, Ohio. He was in a car with another fellow and two girls and their car stalled. They had just come from a New Year's Eve Dance. Another car driven by an Army enlisted fellow and his girl pulled up behind them. A scuffle arose between the other fellow in the car with James and the Army dude. The Army guy grabbed his gun and somehow James was shot. Though he actually walked into the hospital and joked with the nurses, he was sent to his family doctor and somehow he ended up dying. It is in the Wilmington paper.