Urged on by shouts of "Women desire protection and this seems the
only way to get it" the mob's intent had changed from the original
purpose of seeking their own form of justice to clearing the entire town
of blacks. Now the crowd headed toward the black commercial section of the
city called the Levee where they broke into Fishman's
pawn shop, a Jewish owned business, and stole weapons that would in
the near future destroy many businesses, homes, and dreams. The mob now
possessing guns, ammunition, and ropes, moved through the Levee, destroying
all black businesses that were in sight. The violent crowd destroyed two
or three blocks of the Levee. After having laid waste to a number of Negro
established businesses in Springfield the mob then moved north heading
toward the black residential section known as the Badlands.
