By Sunday morning, much of Springfield laid in ruins. On Sunday more
national guard troops arrived and in general the day was peaceful. The official
death total was reported to be seven, two blacks and five accidental whites.
It was rumored that there many more deaths as a result of the riot. Property
damage was in excess of $200,000. Forty homes were destroyed and others
were damaged while twenty-four businesses were forced to close their doors
either temporarily or permanently.
Immediately after the riot, city officials expressed deep regret for the
mob's actions and called for swift justice. The call for justice was left
unanswered as the 107 indictments returned by the special grand jury granted
only one conviction and that was for someone who stole a saber from one
of guards. The murderers of Scott Burton and William Donnegan were left
unpunished as were the arsonists who set fire to the homes in the Badlands.
Kate Howard, one of the ringleaders of the mob, decided to commit suicide
rather to face charges. Mabel Hallam later told the authorities she made
up the story about being raped in order to cover up an affair she was having.
George Richardson was therefore released from jail, but Joe James was tried
and convicted of the murder of Clergy Ballard.
The Springfield Race Riot of 1908 was sparked by Mabel Hallam's false accusation
and fueled by economic and racial tensions already brewing in the black
and white communities. This riot also marked the last conflict between the
races when the black people did not rise up as a group to defend themselves.
As a possible result of the riots in the Great Emancipator's home town,
an integrated group of concerned citizens gathered in the Big Apple, New
York City. This group was seeking a solution to the growing problems between
the blacks and the whites in America. How could a city that prided itself
on the home of the man who set the slaves free also try to run blacks out
of their town? If this could happen in Springfield, Illinois it could happen
anywhere in the United States. Something had to be done. This idea gave
rise to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Today as the most influential civil rights organization, it continues to
strive for the civil liberties of African Americans.
