| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
| ||||||
2 | WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the Illinois General | ||||||
3 | Assembly pays honor and respect to individuals who have given | ||||||
4 | their lives in the line of duty; and
| ||||||
5 | WHEREAS, Enoch Hopkins was born on March 22, 1824 in | ||||||
6 | Jefferson, Maine; he began his long career as a law enforcer | ||||||
7 | shortly after coming to Morris in the summer of 1854; and
| ||||||
8 | WHEREAS, Marshal Hopkins' honorable service was tragically | ||||||
9 | cut short when he was killed in the line of duty on September | ||||||
10 | 14, 1878; and
| ||||||
11 | WHEREAS, On the night of September 14, notorious roughs | ||||||
12 | Frank Foster and Charles Miller came to town; the pair shortly | ||||||
13 | became intoxicated; and
| ||||||
14 | WHEREAS, Marshal Hopkins advised the men several times over | ||||||
15 | the course of the evening to go home as they became disorderly; | ||||||
16 | Foster and Miller ignored the multitude of warnings they | ||||||
17 | received and persisted with their drinking until late into the | ||||||
18 | evening; and | ||||||
19 | WHEREAS, Around midnight, Marshal Hopkins found it | ||||||
20 | necessary to arrest the two drunk men and caught them in a |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | downtown alleyway; as Marshal Hopkins was leading them out of | ||||||
2 | the alley, the men fled on foot; and
| ||||||
3 | WHEREAS, Marshal Hopkins pursued the men when Charles | ||||||
4 | Miller suddenly drew his revolver and fired twice at the | ||||||
5 | officer; Marshal Hopkins was hit by one of the shots and died | ||||||
6 | almost instantly; and
| ||||||
7 | WHEREAS, The funeral for Marshal Hopkins was the largest | ||||||
8 | seen in Morris at the time; he was an honored member of the | ||||||
9 | Masonic Order, a great, noble man, and a respected citizen of | ||||||
10 | the community; therefore, be it
| ||||||
11 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
12 | HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | ||||||
13 | SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the portion of | ||||||
14 | Illinois Route 47 over Interstate 80 from Romines Drive to | ||||||
15 | Illinois Route 6 East as the "Marshal Enoch T. Hopkins Memorial | ||||||
16 | Road"; and be it further
| ||||||
17 | RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation | ||||||
18 | is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with | ||||||
19 | State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs | ||||||
20 | giving notice of the name of the "Marshal Enoch T. Hopkins | ||||||
21 | Memorial Road"; and be it further |
| |||||||
| |||||||
1 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
2 | presented to the family of Marshal Hopkins, the Secretary of | ||||||
3 | the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Morris Police | ||||||
4 | Department, and the Mayor of the City of Morris.
|