The Danville race riot occurred on July 25, 1903, in Danville, Illinois, when a mob sought to
lynch
Lynch may refer to:
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* Lynch Island, South Orkney Islands, Antarctica
* Lynch Point, Marie Byrd Land, Antarctica
* Lynch's Crater, Queensland, Australia
England
* River Lynch, Hertfordshire
* The Lynch, an island in the River ...
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Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
man who had been arrested. On their way to county jail, an altercation occurred that led to the death of a rioter and the subsequent lynching of another Black man. At least two other Black residents were also assaulted. The rioters failed to overtake the police stationed at the jail and the
Illinois National Guard
The Illinois National Guard comprises both Army National Guard and Air National Guard components of Illinois. As of 2013, the Illinois National Guard has approximately 13,200 members. The National Guard is the only United States military force emp ...
restored order the next day.
History
A Black man, James Wilson, had been arrested for the assault of a white woman in
Alvin, Illinois
Alvin is a village in South Ross Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is part of the Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 316 at the 2000 census.Danville. A mob of about 600 whites formed to storm the county jail in Danville to kill Wilson. En route, they encountered another Black man, a native of
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...
, who has been variously identified as J. D. Mayfield, John D. Metcalf, or Bud Fruit. In the ensuing altercation, he shot and killed a member of the mob. Mayfield was intercepted by police and was taken to the nearby police station. Officers barricaded the doors, but they were unable to hold back the mob. Mayfield was captured and taken to the spot where the altercation occurred. There, he was lynched by hanging on the nearest telephone pole.
After Mayfield died, the mob took down is body and brought it to the Danville public square in front of the county jail. The mob burned Mayfield's body, shot at it, and hacked it into pieces. The mob, which had grown to about 1,000 people, was able to batter the door of the jail down, but the sheriff and the deputies managed to shoot several of the rioters. The mob retreated and reorganized. Two miners from Westfield, Illinois brought dynamite to destroy the walls of the jail, but they were intercepted by police in
Himrod
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Himrod ...
.
The mob largely dispersed overnight, but two other unidentified Black residents were beaten with clubs and left in the street. Order was restored after the state deployed the 7th regiment of the
Illinois National Guard
The Illinois National Guard comprises both Army National Guard and Air National Guard components of Illinois. As of 2013, the Illinois National Guard has approximately 13,200 members. The National Guard is the only United States military force emp ...
. Danville Mayor John Beard declined to press any charges against the rioters.