The "May laws" of 1882 barred the Jews from settling outside the cities "anew," i.e.in the future, exempting those who had settled in the rural districts prior to 1882.

These old-time Jewish rustics were a thorn in the flesh of the Russian anti-Semites, who hoped for a sudden disappearance of the Jewish population from the Russian country-side.

Accordingly, a whole set of administrative measures was put in motion, with a view to making the life of the village Jews unbearable.

In another connection [1] we had occasion to point out that the Russian authorities as well as the Christian competitors of the Jews made it their business to expel the latter from the rural localities as "vicious members," by having the peasant assemblies render special "verdicts" against them.

This method was now supplemented by new contrivances to dislodge the Jews.