SJ0008 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SJ0008 LRB103 26281 LAW 52641 r

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, It is highly fitting that the Illinois General Assembly pays honor and respect to individuals who have given their lives in the line of duty; and

WHEREAS, Marshal Enoch T. Hopkins was born in Jefferson, Maine on March 22, 1824; he began his long career as a law enforcer shortly after coming to Morris, Illinois in the summer of 1854; and

WHEREAS, Marshal Hopkins' honorable service was tragically cut short when he was killed in the line of duty on September 14, 1878; and

WHEREAS, On the night of September 14, notorious roughs Frank Foster and Charles Miller came to town, where the pair shortly became intoxicated; and

WHEREAS, Marshal Hopkins advised the men several times over the course of the evening to go home as they became disorderly; the pair ignored the multiple warnings they received and persisted with their drinking until late into the evening; and

WHEREAS, Around midnight, Marshal Hopkins found it necessary to arrest the two intoxicated men and caught them in a downtown alleyway; as he was leading them out of the alley, the men fled on foot; and

WHEREAS, Marshal Hopkins pursued the men when Charles Miller suddenly drew his revolver and fired twice at the officer, who was hit by one of the shots and died almost instantly; and

WHEREAS, The funeral for Marshal Hopkins was the largest seen in Morris at the time; he was an honored member of the Masonic Order, a great, noble man, and a respected citizen of the community; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING HEREIN, that we designate the portion of Illinois Route 47 over Interstate 80 from Romines Drive to Illinois Route 6 East as the "Marshal Enoch T. Hopkins Memorial Road"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois Department of Transportation is requested to erect at suitable locations, consistent with State and federal regulations, appropriate plaques or signs giving notice of the name of the "Marshal Enoch T. Hopkins Memorial Road"; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the family of Marshal Hopkins, the Secretary of the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Morris Police Department, and the Mayor of the City of Morris.