But then the mob then moved on to the black residential area of Springfield.
Rioters set fire to the houses of blacks avoiding only the homes with white
handkerchiefs tied outside which signified they were homes owned or inhabited
by whites. When firemen arrived, the crowd hindered their progress and even
cut their hoses. It was estimated that a crowd of nearly 12,000 people had
gathered to watch the Badlands burn. Black
families were forced to run to surrounding towns or find refuge within the
hostile city. Some blacks found safety with white people they knew, others
went to the State Armory, and still others tried just to get out of town.
Those that went to surrounding towns were met by signs that read, "All
Niggers are warned out of town by Monday, 12 Sharp!". By midnight some
national guard units arrived and dispersed the mob and the violence ended
for Friday night.
