The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-01-05
INHUMAN TREATMENT


Forced to F1y Upon Few Hours Notice.
LONDON, Dec. 30.--The latest adviccs
from St Petersburg and other parts Of
Russia show that the persecution Of the
Jews and the inhumnnity Of the cxar's
officials toward that unhappy race are
greater than ever before Six edicts
have been issued aiming to disperse the
Jewish subjects Of Russia, weaken their
position and trading centcrs, and crush
out their religion These edicts are en-
forced with the utmost rigor in many
parts of the empire. and with severity
everywhere The Moscow papers boast
that since the beginning of 1891
twenty Thousand Jews have been con-
verted to orthodoxy.
The unhappy converts, who have
been driven to a pretended denial OF
their religious faith, in order to escape
intolerable persecution, have been de-
ported to the district of Tcherkesovo,
about five miles from Moscow. There
they are vigorously governed by priests
of the Russian orthodox church, who
require them TO attend the services
of that church, and to comply with
its various rules, watching narrowly
for any sign of evasion or repeKt-
ance. These priests have entire
supervision Of the wretched col
ony, and the alleged converts from
Judaism are only allowed leave to re-
turn to Moscow upon certificate from
the priests certifying that the convert
holding such certificate 10 assured in
the faith of tho orthodox church.
When thus released from the ordeal at
Tcherkesovo their troubles are not over.
The police and police spies keep care
full watch over them, and If they fail in
attention to. their religious obligations
as members Of the orthodox church,
they are reported as recanting to the
Jewish faith. Should the charge of re-
cantation be established, the usual
punishment is deportation to Siberia.
The police have been making a care.
full scrutiny of the birth papers of the
Jews with a view to driving more OF
them out of the towns, none being al
lowed to reside in towns, except those
who aae patives. In Moscow, where
the anti-Jev ssh crusade received q great
impulse through the zeal Of Grand Duke
Sergius, brother of the czar, and gov
ernor of Moscow, persecution continued
with unabated severity. Jews who were
not natives of Moscow have been given
twenty-four hours TO return to their
native towns.
A Jew who has conducted an import
ant mercantile establishment for thirty
years near the Central post office, has
been compelled to close up his business
and leave on twenty-four hours notice.
No mercy is shown to any Jews, no
matter how meritorious, who can be
brought within the scope Of the cruel
| edicts. Thousands of Jewish working
people have been driven from their en-
ployment to become beggars and wan
derera OLD soldiers, who wore medals
for faithful and gallant service in Rus
sia's army, are treated with as little
mercy as other Jews. No rscognitior
whatever is given to. their claims
| upon the country. Merchants o.
the best standing are driven out like
| the poorest laborer, and not only
deprived of their business, but robbed
Of the money that is owing to them, 70,
/ their debtors, encouraged to injustict
by the unjust course of the authorities
refuse to pay the debts well aware tina
their Jewish creditors are virtually
without remedy. Summarily deportet
to their birth districts" merchant
who were recently in affluence fnt
themselves helpless and impoverished
in localities with which they may hav'
long been unfamiliar. They may no
even have a single tie there, and ma,
have been absent a longer period thai
an average human lifetime; but tina
makes no difference to the Russian off
cials. The old man Of seventy or eighty
who left his native place when a child
must go back there, and be torn from
the arms of his children and his chill
dren's children unless they choose t.
accompany him Tho scenes witnessed
in consequence are most pitiful, ant
would move, one would think, even thu
hesrt of the Grand Duke Sergius.