The San Francisco call., 1906-07-28
DOW|E AND VOL|vA
BOTH DEFEATED.
Judge Decides Zion
Property Is a Trust
Belonging to Neither

CHICAGO, July 27.-Neither John
Alexander Dowie. founder, nor Wilbur
Glenn .Voliva. present general over
to be worth from $12.000.0o0 to $21,-
100000, in the decision handed down
today by Judge ]. NJ. Lands of the
United States Circuit Court in the
Zion City case. Instead, Judge Lands
declared Zion City a trust estate
named John G. Hately, a member of
the Chicago Board of Trade receiver
of the property and ordered an cleo
ton to be held on September 49, when
the people Of the Christian Catholic
Apostolic Church in Zion City shall
choose their overseer. Judge Landis
will decide later what ompensation
Dowie shall be allowed for his past
services.
The substance of the courts decision
is in the ruling that the property and
money given Dowie were in trust.
Judge Landis declared the convey
ance of the Zion City property by Vol
iva, under power of attorney. to John
Granger to be void. On this point the
decision said:
Waving all question as to Granger's
unfitness from the standpoint of his
ability, some time ago he took a vow
from which / quote the following:
Il vow in the name of God my Faith
er, and of Jesus Christ, his Son and my
Savior, and the Holy Ghost that l
eral overseer in his three-fold pro-
phetic office as messenger of the
covenant, the prophet foretold by
promise to obey all rightful orders is
sued by him and that all familiar ties
and obligations and all relations to all
human lives shall be held subordinate
to this VOW. This l make in the pres
ence of Cod
1t is not my duty to express my con,
tempt for the man that could exact OF
take this oath, But 1 am not oblig ed
to repose my confidence in a man SC
constituted that, living in this republic
he would serenely vow his readiness
at all times to abandon his family and
betray his country.
Judge Lands quoted from writings
of Dowie to show that the latter had
always regarded the property of his
church as a trust. The adjudication ir
the bankruptcy proceedings was also
set aside so that pending litigation
against Dowie may automatically be
restrained until the entire litigation is
ended.
Receiver Hately's bond of s25.00t
was approved late in the afternoon BY
the court. and he went imm ediately tc
Zion City and assumed charge of tht
property.
The court announced that Dowie i.
to remain in possession of Shiloh House
and to have complete freedom of the
appurt enances, including his library.
ZION CITY. ILL.,. July 27.-Deacor
John A Lewis. recognized as the
spokesman of Dowie. and who was
chosen by him to manage the Paradise
Plantation of Mexico, the rock over
which 1T is alleged the Dowie and Vol
iva partisans split, had the following 6
to say of the decision:
If thetdecree of Judge Lands stands
the Christian Catholic Apostolic
Church of Zion is uprooted. The church
is founded on the theory of a theoc
racy and how can an election under
the laws of Cook County, Illinois pro
claim who shall be leader of the hosts
1 maintain that God Almighty alone
can designate who shall be the f1rst
apostle. / firmly believe that the Lore
has designated John Alexander Dowit
to lead the hosts to the paths of light
Their efore when special election is
called the whole fabric of the church il
destroyed If God designates the lead
ser, how can man choose him?
AS far as property. rights are con
cerned they matter little to us, the
great question is that of spiritual con
troll; upon that the very foundation o1
the church depends n am sure DR.
Dowie will never be satisfied with the
decision as rendered.