Bloomington, for their safety. Loper was escorted by Sheriff Deputies Kramer, Hanrahan and Rhodes, and Sergeant of Police, Fred Yanzell. Once they reached Bloomington, James and Richardson were put on a train to Peoria, as Werner feared the mob might go to Bloomington and try to retrieve them. After the crowd learned that Loper had arranged the suspects' transfer, the trickery upset them more. Werner ordered the crowd to disperse; however, many went to go watch a 5-Cent Picture Show while others, still angry, walked the streets or went to saloons to go drink. Loper's Soon after Loper returned from Bloomington, around 8:00 p.m., he was confronted with a mob, armed with brickbats, clubs and revolvers, who showed up to Loper's restaurant for revenge. The mob was led by Kate Howard, a 42-year-old white divorcee who had a reputation for being "loose with the boys." Howard, whose ex-husband was highly respected and owned a wallpaper store on Eighth and Adams, had lived in Springfield nearly 20 years, where she ran the Howard Hotel (a boarding house rumored to be one of the city's roughly 30 white brothels) with her brother, William E. Connor, at 115 1/2 North Fifth Street. Howard shouted on the mob to destroy Loper's property: Loper, who had served black people at his establishment, was prepared to defend his property. He fired a warning shot, with his shotgun, over the crowd when they began throwing bricks into his restaurant. But as the crowd descended upon the premises, Loper retreated further into the building, where he would escape through a hole in the brick wall. The crowd tore through the restaurant, raiding and hurling his liquor. At this point, only 26 militiamen of the 1st and 5th had assembled. Shand sent them to the jail and, armed with bayonets, instructed them to clear the mob of over 3,000. As the men tried to do so, Shand received a call from Governor Deneen that there was trouble at Loper's. Shand ordered the men at the Arsenal to go over to Loper's to assist, with the 1st and the 5th, but Werner refused, telling Shand that he did not want to leave the jail for the mob. Werner allowed only 10 militiamen to go to Loper's, and forbade them to fire upon the crowd. At Loper's, the mob destroyed the restaurant's interior – tossing the tables and chairs onto the