Imagine living in Springfield during the Racing Riots of 1908. Fires, lynchings, and mob acts were taking place everywhere. Springfield, Illinois is the heartland of Illinois and is known as Abraham Lincoln's "stomping ground," but people know little about Springfield's history. In the early 1900s, Illinois' population was approximately 47,000 and Springfield's population was approximately 300. Springfield was originally claimed by a man named William Florville (1807 – 1868), a Haitian businessman who met Abraham Lincoln in New Salem. In Springfield, blacks were essentially in charge. In fact, about 5.5 percent of Springfield's population was black. Whites in town believed that blacks were taking jobs from their race. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essay On July 4, 1908, Clergy Ballard, a mining engineer, was at home with his daughter in the "North End" of Springfield . Her daughter was woken up by a "man standing over her", he grabbed his gun and tried to shoot the unknown assailant but was stabbed in her yard... in front of her daughter, the daughter of Clergy said the man was black. This put the North End on alert and they began searching for the attacker and found a man named Joe James, a young black man new to town who was found sleeping in a nearby alley, apparently after a night of drinking. The white mob beat Mr. James before the police arrived. The local newspaper said "Ballard clergy saved daughter from sexual assault." On August 14, 1908, the Illinois State Journal reported that a white woman named Mabel Hallam had been raped by a black man named George Richardson, who worked as a brick carrier. . Mabel Hallam was the 21-year-old wife of the famous tram conductor William Hallam. William Hallam had falsely identified Richardson as the attacker to protect his wife. Several eyewitness accounts said Richardson was on the porch with Ms. Hallam and police arrested him and took him to the city jail. On the afternoon of August 14, a mostly male (white) crowd gathered in downtown Springfield. The angry mob was convinced that the two black men, James and Richardson, had committed brutal crimes against white women and men. The crowd, numbering 5,000 to 10,000 people at 7:30 p.m., marched to the prison and demanded that the prisoners be handed over to them. Sheriff Charles Cerner distracted the crowd, while Harry Loper, a wealthy restaurateur and one of Springfield's few automobile owners, drove the two suspects out of town to Bloomington, Illinois, about 64 miles away. After the crowd learned that Loper had arranged for the suspects to be transferred, they went to his restaurant to seek revenge. The sheriff sends around ten horsemen to the scene but forbids them from shooting into the crowd. The mob destroyed Loper's restaurant, overturning its interior furniture, and setting fire to his automobile. An 18-year-old immigrant from Eastern Europe was fatally shot in the basement of Loper's restaurant... the first victim of the riot. Loper managed to escape the vicious mob. Charles S. Deneen (Governor at the time) activated the state militia when he realized that local authorities were overwhelmed. The mob began attacking black areas of the city, moving toward Levee (Seventh and Washington), a predominantly black business district. It included dives (very run down places) and lounges as well assome official businesses. The mob first attacked the pawnshop of John Olbermann, a Jew, and stole weapons and ammunition. Then, they destroyed a total of 35 other black-owned businesses and smashed windows and storefronts all along Washington Street. Among the destroyed businesses were saloons owned by two black businessmen and political leaders, one an active Republican and the other a Democrat. Three white men were shot dead during the conflict, apparently by blacks defending their businesses on Washington Street. One of the white victims was crushed by the crowd, and two others later died from their injuries. Furthermore, about half of the reported casualties were due to gunfire and about a quarter were due to bricks thrown at crowds. The crowd headed toward the Badlands, the heart of the black residential area. The mob burned homes in the Badlands, destroying a four-block area and causing widespread damage to nearby streets. They met Scott Burton, a black barbershop owner. Burton fired into the crowd and was eventually killed by return fire. They set fire to his store and took his body to a nearby salon, hanging it from a tree. By this time, approximately 12,000 whites had gathered to watch the homes burn. When the firefighters arrived, the whites prevented their progress by cutting their hoses. Many blacks fled the city or found refuge in the State Arsenal, where white militias protected them. Militiamen dispersed the crowd later that night after reinforcements arrived after 2 a.m. The next day, August 15, another 5,000 militia arrived to maintain order. Onlookers and tourists who had heard about the riots in the newspapers also went to the stricken city. A new crowd formed and approached the State Arsenal, where many black residents had taken refuge. Faced with a militiaman, the crowd changed direction. Several hundred men and boys went to the home of William Donnegan, an elderly black man whose wife, Sarah Rudolph, was an Irish-German about thirty years his junior. He was recorded as being 76 years old. When Donegan came out after threatening to burn down his house, the mob grabbed him, slit his throat and lynched him from the tree across the street, two blocks from the office of the governor. Sarah ran away with their little daughter and was taken in by a neighbor. The militia ended the riots on August 15, leaving 40 homes and 24 businesses in ruins, and seven people were confirmed dead. Two black men were killed and five white people were killed in the violence. There were rumors of several other unreported deaths. According to the Illinois State Journal, after the riot, 2,000 black people immediately left Springfield. “There are still many Negroes left in Springfield, but many of them are planning to go there at the first opportunity” ––Roy R. Reece A grand jury filed 107 indictments against nearly 80 individuals who allegedly participated in the riots (including four police officers). police), but only one man, a 20-year-old Russian Jewish vegetable seller named Abraham Raymer, was convicted. His crime was stealing a sword from a guard. Raymer had already been tried for the murder of William Donnegan, as he had been placed at the scene. Raymer was beaten by police in an attempt to extract a confession, but he maintained his innocence. He was acquitted of that case as well as serious charges in two subsequent trials, which set the tone for the rest of the cases. There were a few misdemeanor pleas. However, the lack of evidence allowed the.