a cleaning store, and an amusement park. He had arrived in Springfield in February. It was rumored, and reported, that Raymer carried the American flag in the middle of the mob and urged them to attack Donnegan, that he personally slit Donnegan's throat, and that he tried to incite the mob to help him beat the detective, Evan T. Jones, who eventually arrested him. Though Raymer was not a legal citizen of the U.S., it was reported that he "loved the flag." He was arrested at the corner of Fourth and Washington streets, about an hour after Donnegan had been lynched. He was with a mob en route to the gashouse, "looking for negroes living there" in order to lynch them. The mob was thwarted by the state militia. Several witnesses, including at least five militiamen, testified that they saw Raymer throwing bricks into Loper's restaurant. Loper testified that Raymer was a leader in the destruction of his restaurant. Loper said that he watched Raymer destroy his restaurant for over an hour, and considered shooting him, but did not want to miss and accidentally shoot an innocent person in the crowd. Raymer was reported as "defiant and boastful" about taking part in the mob; he confessed going to the gashouse, and also confessed to taking part in Donnegan's lynching, admitting that Donnegan was targeted because his wife was white. Raymer provided the names of four other rioters, including Ernest "Slim" Humphrey, who had a long rap sheet for fighting. According to Raymer's confession, on August 15, after leaving the State Arsenal building, a smaller mob of about 200 men assembled at Seventh and Washington streets, around 8:00pm. The headquarters of the militia was one block away, at Seventh and Jefferson. Raymer stated that only about six men in the mob knew where the group was heading. One man allegedly had a clothesline, which he showed to Raymer, who admitted that he understood its intended use. As the mob neared Donnegan's home, Donnegan's wife and children were seen fleeing through a rear door. Five or six members of the mob ran into Donnegan's home, firing revolvers. They dragged Donnegan out. While witnesses said they thought Raymer cut Donnegan's throat, police believed Raymer had tied the rope around Donnegan's neck. Raymer denied doing either. It was reported that Raymer was one of the "foremost" perpetrators in Burton's lynching as well. He was