Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-01-10
STRANGER.
AsSuch Wife Treat
ed Him.
Mansfield Man Sues the
prophet"
Wants $50, 1000 From Dowieites
For Wife's Love.

Chicago, Jan. 1O.--John Alexander
Dowie has been made defendant in
a suit for $4,000 damages, brought
by Benjamin f. Williams, until recent
ly a school teacher of Mansfield. o.,
who AYERS that the Dowie propaganda
has alienated the affections of his
wife, Edith r. Williams, and destroy
ed his home. Named as co-defendants
with Dowie are John G.. Speicher,
overseer for Chicago of the "Christinn.
Catholic church." and Cyrus Il. Fock-
Ter, a Zion" missionary in Ohio who,
Williams says converted his wife and
himself to Dowie's faith.
The declaration specifically charges
that the defendants, in order to In
crease the wealth aud revenues accru-
ing to Dowie through the various Zion
industries, combined and conspired to
induce and persuade the wife of each
existing family in Zion to approve of
it's businesses and enterprises, and
taught that it was immoral for such
wife to live with. love or respect her
husband unless he cenformed to the
doctrines Of the church, paid tithes
and abstained from the use of tobacco
and alcohol.
The plaintiff admits that his belief
in the teachings of Dowie has been
shaken that lie is in arrears of tithes
and Is user of tobacco, and AYERS that
because of this his wife was COM
mnnded by Speicher to treat him as
stranger until such time ns he should
repent. pay tithes and confess his sup
posed errors. Williams says his wife
Informed him that she dared not dis
obey the mandate of Dowie's high
priest and that accordingly she has
refused to live with him.
Williams says that because of his
detection Dowie has cast him out of
Zion, withheld his wages and that
the worry has broken his health. In
consequence his four small children
are I'm destitute circumstances and
Williams treated as an outcast in his
own home. has been compelled to
walk the streets all night, In some in.
stances being compelled to ask assist
Rnce of the police.
Williams suit is based upon one OF
the most novel contentious cyel
brought in the local courts and &c
pends entirely upon the application 6i
the precedent established in the An
archists' case, pertaining to conspilm
cies.
The plaintiff contends that Dowi,
and other defendayts conspired u
accomplish n perfectly lawful purpos,
by unlawful means, the purpose being
to propagate a religious creed ant
the means of accomplishment til,
teachings of doctrines which whel
carried out resulted in the alleged
breaking up of the plaintiffs home
In the Anarchists case Judge Gar,
held that the teacher was accountable
under the law for the results of hi
doctrines which holding was sustained
by the United States Supreme court.
''Some time ago my daughter caugh
severe cold She complained of pain
In her chest and had bad cough.
gave her Chamberlain's Cough Remed
according to directions and in tw
days she was well and able to go t
school. have used this remedy in IN
family for the past seven years an
have never known it to fall" says la
Prendergast, merchant, Annato Ba.
Jamaica, West India Islands. TIL
pains in the chest indicated an al
preaching attack Of pneumonia, whic
in this instance was undoubtedly ware
ed off by Chamberlain's Cough Rem
edy. 1t cOunteracts any tendency
a cold toward pneumonia. For sale b
all druggists E Steinbacher & Co
wholesale agents.