The measures at first adopted by Government to check the spread of this new visitation doubtless offended in many ways against the customs and prejudices of the people, especially the searching and disinfection of houses, and the forcible removal of plague-patients even when they happened to be Brahmans.

What Tilak could do by secret agitation and by a rabid campaign in the Press to raise popular resentment to a white heat he did.

The _Kesari_ published incitements to violence which were put into the mouth of Shivaji himself[4].

The inevitable consequences ensued.

On June 27, 1897, on their way back from an official reception in celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, Mr.Rand, an Indian civilian, who was President of the Poona Plague Committee, and Lieutenant Ayerst, of the Commissariat Department, were shot down by Damodhar Chapekur, a young Chitpavan Brahman, on the Ganeshkind road.