usually when we think of a riot, we think of blac people writing. thesitpeople rioting against black people. the mentality of at the time was that the people as t black folks were getting too uppity. had businesses, they took care of themselves. they had property. they owned homes. and you know you're not supposed to do that because you're just pardon me, the n-word. and so they were getting too big for their brch. and so we're going to we're going to teach you a lesson. we're going to you in your place or put you in your place. the presidential library museum is where county jail was, which is where two men who had who were in jail were kept. and that's where the rioters

came because. the sheriff sheriff werner, it his intent to take them out town because. he feared for their safety. one of them had been accused of killing a white man and the other one had been accused of raping a white woman. and who was who was the sheriff? his name was charles warner. and he felt it would be a best if the. if the two prisoners. richardson james, were not in the jail because he feared a riot. he he had come here from ohio and there had been a riot in one of the towns where he had lived in ohio. and he because what was going on and the all of them hatred that

was fomenting and whatever he felt that it would be safer he was going to take them to bloomington which is about 70 miles away for their safety, except that the the citizens who were now incensed because of the rape of the white woman in murder of the white man by black by these black men men. he thought that that would be the best thing to do. well, the citizens got wind it and so they mr. loper was one of the richest in springfield. he owned a restaurant and he also owned a car in 1908, one of the few people in springfield who owned a car. so they saiwell, this will never happen. and a result, they trashed his car and destroyed his restaurant.

so was the sheriff able to get them out of town? apparently he must have been, but i don' how large of a crowd is it at this particular what, about 5000 people? can you imagine? i couldn't. i mean, i thought that was just absolutely. 5000 folks and first victim of the riot was a person who worked there, a young boy. i he was a dishwasher or something and he was white. and he seldom he's not mentioned very much, but he was first victim of the riot because he tried to remain safe. but then when they trashed the restaurant, he got caught in the wrong place as well. well, that's where he worked. and he was just to be there. most the majority of the business for the for the city in this area.

and on the fringe, too, to the east was where the where the black community kind of started and where the black community had their businesses. we crossed the 11th street 11th street is a. kind of a divider because there are railroad tracks, 10th street. and in many cities. and springfield was no exception on one side were were white folks and on the other side were black folks. and how do you how large was the black population? about 2500 folks. and they were probably we were probably 5% of the population at that the time. so 11th and madison is where scott burton, who was the barber was was lynched. now, why did they go after the barber. barbering was one of the few jobs so speak that a black man

could have and be self-employed it. i thought it was interesting that he cut the hair and shaved black people as well as white people. now this man has a straight and he's cutting white folks hair. he could slit a lot of throats, but he didn't. but i always thought that was kind oxymoronic. and barbershop was his barber shop and his home. he lived up over his barber shop in the block that no longer the house is gone. it was the home of mr. don and good mr. was like 84 years old give or take. he lived probably where that parking lot he is now and he was he was married to a woman who just happened to be white.

they'd been married for 20 some odd years, if not. and they lived in this area and. the mob came this far, which is removed from where the other activity was. but they knew he lived there and they knew he was married to a white woman and they thought that they would kill him. he had done nothing. he was a cobbler. he it is reported he made boots for me. lincoln, at one time because he certainly have been in springfield at the time. mr. was in springfield. so that story is true. so they come to his house and they get him and what happens? they let him. they are looking for a. that they ock the building where i'm where we're going next is is

the it was called the arsenal the armory and the grounds of the state capital served as a refuge for the black people were scared to death and. the the the the arsenal was a safe haven for black people. and across the street on the grounds of the state capital. that's where the militia was stationed, for lack a better term, to call it. so after they leave. mr.. after they lynched. mr.. mr.. where where do they go from there? well, that was the end of it because the state militia started to show up. and so that was the end of two days of of. so when, when all is and done, how much damage was done and how many people were killed.

there were 40, 40 homes were were destroyed destroyed. three people were killed. so what happened to the the prisoners were whisked out of springfield. what ultimately happened to them? joe, joe james was ultimately convicted of the murder of clergy. and so he was hanged in october. george richardson, who? who? mable hallam had accused of rape long in september or somewhere along there in the fall. right. because this was august in cep in september, she recanted her story. she had not been raped at all. she'd been having an affair with a white man and her husband

busted out, so to speak. her husband out about it. but that. but. but the cry of rape is what started. the whole riot. the best thing. course it happened from the race riot. the formation of the naacp and that occurred because the time of the riot there a a writer or a well, folks called him a socialist or a communist, whatever. who happened to be in chicago and he about the up the uprise all the activity that was going in springfield and he wrote an for a magazine called the independent and his name was william william english walling

and in his final question was, what organized say what or who who can step forward to help right the wrongs that happened to black residents of springfield and the culmination of that was the founding of the naacp in the years following? what what did springfield do? nothing. nothing was. what do you think it was? it? shame. shame shame. a race riot in the home of springfield, illinois the home of abraham lincoln. we don't want anybody to know about that. i'm sure that why you know, it's it's a black spot. a black spot on springfield history. who ever would have that? there would be a race right? the home of mr. lincoln. that would be the last place and place was in the north.

you usually associate race riots in to be in the south and in the south, but no, this this was in the north. you it says we should learn remember our history or else we are condemned or something like that to repeat it because. i hope that we would never get to the stage or get to the stage in springfield where. something that would h