The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1906-01-25
Ecclesiastical Head of the Zion
Church Removed From Office as
Devils Matrimonial Agent"
DOWlE MAY RESUME CONTROL
Judge Barnes Labors Hard to Save His
Colleague From Disgrace AID the
People may Side With Over
seer Speicher

Zion City is on the verge of another
upheaval. This time it may be spir-
itual as we'll as temporal and involve
either the return of DR.. Dowie to his
former complete ascendency or his
abdication of authority in the church
as well as in financial affairs. In the
event of the former contingency it is
feared that the ultimate financial con-
sequences would be serious.
This chaotic condition of affairs,
which threw the officers of the church
and the recently appointed ''triumvir-
ate'' into long and heated conferences
Sunday night, is the direct outcome of
cablegram which ''The First Apos-
tie" sent to Judge V. v. Barnes from
Litchfeld, Jamaica, last Wednesday.
1t read:
Cancel the authority of Overseer
Speicher and remove him from the
church for acting as theedevi1's mat
rimonia1 bureau in marrying Deacon
Cotton aud Doris Ausdemberger.
DOWIE.
Since that time many other mes
sages have passed betweensDr. Dowie
and his chief legal adviser, Judge
Barnes, and it is understood that the
latter has worked hards to save the
head of the overseer.
The situation Sunday remained un-
certain. Overseer Speicher was abb
sent from his usual place ia the meet
ing at Shiloh tabernacle, but it was
denied on all sides sthat he had re-
signed.
Mr.. Barnes, while refusing to make
any statement on theBsubject, would
not deny the receipt of the telegram
and the subsequent faction. IF Over
seer Speieher refuses to accept this
order and if the triumvirate refuses to
insist upon it and it comes to an open
rebellion, there is little question that
the majority Of the smemb ers Of the
church would stand by their first
leader.
The summary action of DIR. Dowie
in seeking to GUST Overseer sSphicher
is based upon the latter's alleged as
sumption Of spiritual authority and
reversal of spiritual rules. Deacon
Frank Cotton was until last week
manager of the zionEhospice, one of
the most important positions in the
church. He has been one of DR..
Dowie's chief ieutenants since the
worlds fair year.
Less than year ago Deacon Cot
toms wife died. Within few months
he had grown attentive to her sister,
Doris Aufdemberger
Now, among the rules of the
Christian Catholic church in Zion
some of the most important deal with
the marriage relations. Before a
couple can be married in Zion City it
is necessary to procure the permits
sion of DR.. Dowie, just as it is neces-
sary to get marriage license in other
cities.
During DR.. Dowie's last visit to
Zion City Deacon Cotton asked per-
mission to marry his sister-in-1aw.
This was refused.peremptori1y. The
exact reason was not given out, but it
is supposed that DR.. Dowie desired
the couple to wait until another year
had passed. One other instance is on
record OF a deacon being required to
wait two years.
AS soon as DR.. Dowie had gone Mr..
Cotton applied to Overseer Speicher
for license. This was granted, and
the deacon and his sister-in law we're
married on Dec. %, hardly a week
after DIR. Dowie had sailed.
i Through his secret service DR..
Dowie heard of this, and his fiery de-
nunciation of it took the shape of the
message quoted and another one re-
moving Cotton from his Office in the
hospice and from his membership in
the church. When Deacon Cotton and
his bride returned from the honey
moon to New York they were called to
'the carpet" and read the order. They
1 left +ha citv irnr1Rdia telV