Village Marshal Patrick Crowley

Patrick Crowley

Village Marshal Patrick Crowley was shot and killed from ambush as he was escorting the Hodgkins ex-mayor to jail.

The man had been defeated for re-election as mayor of the village after a heated anti-liquor fight in the last election. Marshal Crowley had arrested him at his home for a disturbance he had caused earlier. As he was escorting him to jail, the man's son stepped from behind a tree and shot Marshal Crowley in the back of the head.

The ex-mayor and two other men were arrested and charged in connection with Marshal Crowley's murder. The ex-mayor's son was never seen again. On December 23, 1909, the Cook County state's attorney stated that he had no evidence on the other three, forcing the judge to dismiss the charges.

Marshal Crowley had served with the Hodgkins Police Department for only two weeks and had previously served as a police officer with the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department. He was survived by his wife, son and three daughters.