Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-10-21
POOR OLD DOWIE!
Unmerciful Raking in Letter
from Elder Parkhurst.
Head Twisted, Method Wrong, Heart
Infected or a Mountebank.
Parkhurst Says He Is Ashamed to Have
Attended Meeting.

New York, Oct. 2o.-About 1000 per-
SONS, half OF whom were Zionists, at
tended John Alexander Dowie's early
service in Madison Square Garden, to-
day. He preached on 'Blasphemy."
He then said he was going to meet the
editors of the New York papers at his
hotel and requested his followers to
pray Tor him. The 600 members of the
Dowie choir will join the house, in
crcasing its number 1440. Deacon
Speicher said the work was greater
than anticipated.
Rev. Charles H. Parkhurst, today,
sent the following open letter to Mr..
Dowie:
REV, John Alexander Dowie:
Dear Sir-I do not want to be pre-
Stunning, but doubt if it is any more
presumptive in me to come and try to
clarity you than it is for you to come
and, try to clarity New York; and l do
not know which of us has taken the
heavier contract. I attended your ser
vice at Madison Square Garden, last
evening, and I went determined to en-
10y 1t II could, and to be benefited by
It, and to go away and refute some OF
the charges that I had heard alleged
against you. But it was of no use,
your behavior on the platform crushed
every throb of sympathy l had with
you. I never heard from public
speaker such q discharge of efferVes-
cent wrath and coarse invectiVe. L went
to hear you preach the gospel and you
preached Dowie, Zion City and Stink
pot I was ashamed of you and almost
ashamed to be in your audience. 1t was
a long way below the standard even of
the circuses that have attended in the
same garden. The only consolation /
could derive was that it was so abom-
Unable and so far beyond the bounds OF
the respectable that even those in your
congregation who did not know what
Christianity is would have no idea that
1t had anything to do with what you
were saying. OF course the ridiculous
ness of the performance was only en-
HANGED by the immensely of your pre-
tensions. If you claimed to be only ar
ordinary man there might be some hope
for you, even with what you call the
'rabbIe,' but the rabble is discriminate
ing and can determine as keenly as the
keenest between man, prophet and jug
gler, between an Allah and a mounte-
bank.
I say this in no spirit of anger, bu
either your head is twisted or your
heart infected, or you have blunderet
badly in your method. You cannot
bully people into Zionism nor black
guard them into the kingdom o.
heaven. 1 hope you will take this il
the kindly spirit in which it is offered
Very sincerely,
C. H. PARKHURST.
Dowie's chief aids, his wife and hi
son, are about to leave him for a tril
abroad. They will start. Thursday
from this city, taking the steamer Sax
onia, Saturday. from Boston. They will
80 to England and then to Australia
where Mrs. Dowie's family still lives
They do not expect to return to the
United States until next July.
DOwie arrayed in evening clothes
talked for two hours, tonight, before
great throng in Madison Square Gar
den, the burden of his talk being dc
nunciation of the CLERGY and the pre-
When he began tho hug C'HrGen wa
crowded and the police say 5000 person
who could not gain entrance were turn
ed away. In half an hour, however, the
police refused to admit late comers
saying they feared a riot.
1t was with some difficulty that an,
semblance of order was kept. The
speakers outpouring of invective was
readily interrupted with Kisses anc
shouts of disapproval At one poin
Dowie ordered the police to arrest two
men in different parts of the building
who had interrupted him.
Carrie Nation. who occupied a sea
near the front. asked Elijah" to an.
swer some questions. He refused anC
ordered her to sit down. Dowie ther
praised the spirit in which Mrs. Nation
had warred on the saloon, but said she
used wrong methods. Mrs. Nation agar
demanded the privilege of asking ques-
lions. At once the Zion guards sur
rounded her and with the help of sew
eral policemen hustled her out. At thi!
several hundred people at the back o
the garden made a rush to get out
The entrance was blocked in a moment
and Dowie. shouting that the way hac
been blocked by the crowd outside
brought there for the purpose of Gre
ating disturbance. ordered the Zion
lists to keep their peace. He then re-
Quested the audience to be seated ant
after having the side doors opened ht
directed the audience to rise in section;
and go out at the sides. The meeting
was one of continuous disorder. Dowie
had announced that he would reply t.
an attack by the Rev. DR.. James M
Buckley. published in a magazine las
year. But he only referred to this sub
iect casually. He attacked the Rev
DR.. p. S. Henson the Rev. DIR. Park.
hurst, J. p. Morgan and others and an.
nounced that hereafter he intended t.
keep the newspaper reporters out O.
his meetings