Du Quoin PD Wall Honors Friends of the Department

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ It was a long time ago--87 years to be exact. John Franklin Kelley was only 28 years old when he died the day after being shot four times in the line of duty while serving as Du Quoin's night marshal.

It was a shooting that might not have happened had he not remembered leaving his keys at the Du Quoin police station.

Kelley--the only City of Du Quoin police officer ever killed in the line of duty--died at Holden Hospital in Carbondale. October 9, 1921.

Eighty-seven years later, his name has been added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.

He left behind his wife, a daughter Pauline Hampsey and one stepson, Clyde H. Dean. He also left behind his mother, Mrs. Lillie Kelley then of 31 North Walnut Street and three brothers--Edgar, McCormie and James as well as a sister, mrs. Lillian Neal. He also left behind an aged grandmother, Mrs. Lizzie Stanhouse.

Kelley's memory lives in a recently created memorial wall just inside the entrance to the Du Quoin Police Department. That memorial contains remembrances of Chief of Police James Booker (1953-2007); Du Quoin Fire Chief Richard Fronek (1945-2007); auxiliary police officer Luke Jones (1941-1998) killed in a traffic accident ; Sheriff's Department Deputy Sandy Kalb (1951-1991); county telecommunicator Liz Phillips (1949-2005)--both lost to medical conditions-- and Illinois State Police Trp. Randall Kuipers (1961-1989), assigned to Perry County.

All of these people held a special place in the lives of members of the Du Quoin Police Department.

In short, it is a wall that remembers their friends--no more and no less, but it does so with great dignity and taste.

A memorial message is engraved on a brass plate below their photograph.

Among them all, it is Kelley who was killed in the line of duty. He was Du Quoin's night marshal.

That night, he had left the Du Quoin police station on South Division Street when he remembered that he had left his keys at the station and turned around to get them.

Kelley saw and heard a man causing trouble at the Wood Bind restaurant nearby on South Division Street. The man was Cleve Martin.

Martin had demanded that the 18-year-old boy in the restaurant fix him something to eat and get him a drink, even though the restaurant had been closed for a half hour. This was about 11:30 p.m.

Kelley walked in and put his hand on Cleve Martin's shoulder and asked what was the problem.

Martin turned with a gun in hand and shot Kelley four times. Patron Bob Hathaway caught Kelley in his arms as the officer began to fall to the floor.

The Du Quoin Tribune published by John T. Behm said in its headline: "Tragic Death of Night Policeman John Kelley--Young Life Sacrificed by Assassin's Bullet."

The story began: "John Kelley, night marshal, was shot and fatally wounded a little before midnight Friday in Bowlen's soft drink parlor and lunch counter.

"The depraved assassin was Cleve Martin. It is stated that he entered the parlor about 11:30 p.m. and called for an intoxicant. Upon being refused the liquor, the main at once became boisterous, attracting the attention of our watchful night marshal, who entered the parlor and quietly reprimanded Martin for his behavior and loud talk. The infuriated man is said to have turned upon him and fired several times in quick succession. It is thought the murderer was spirited out of town immediately after the crime. No arrest was made.

"The wounded officer was rushed to Holden Hospital, where he expired within a few hours.

"The tragedy cast a cloud of gloom over our city and Mayor Plumlee issued a proclamation that business be suspended during the funeral Tuesday afternoon. The Juvenile Band rendered the requiem for the dead and that line of autos, scarcely ever equaled in length, told of the esteem in which our martyred marshal was held. The service was held at the Main Street Christian Church. Rev. Harmon officiated.

"John F. Kelley was but 27 years of age when he met his untimely, tragic death. He was born in our city, and while a youth entered the mines. He held membership in the UMWA at the time of his death. Our fellow citizens extend deep sympathy."

It was actually the second time Kelley had been shot in the line of duty. The first time was not fatal. Shortly before midnight, Kelley was making his rounds when informed there was some sort of trouble going on at the Keystone building on North Oak Street. Kelley went to the keystone and when he knocked on the door, a woman's voice told him to go away. Kelley forced the door open and was shot in the leg. The woman, who did the shooting, was Mabel Davis, also known as Mabel Tippet. The woman was arrested and taken to jail."

Work on the memorial wall is shared by all in the department with special appreciation to Fraternal Order of Police representative Bill Merhtens for researching the history on marshal Kelley's life and his tragic death.