The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-27
Court Holds That Prophet Was
Merely Trustee
And Had No Personal Claim to
the Property.
TURNS DOWN GRANGER
Refuses to Appoint Him Receiver
on Ground
That His Church Vow Proved
Him an Unfit Person.

Chicago, July 27.-Judge Lands, OF
tae United States district court, gave
his decision today in the controversy
between the adherents OF John Alexan-
der Dowie and Wilbur Voliva over the
property at Zion City.
The court holds that Zion City and
its industries do not belong to Dowie-
that while the contributors of the
funds did not express a formal declar-
alton Of trust, a trust was created and
DOwfe had no right to treat the pro-
perty as his own. The court refused
TO appoint Alexander Granger receiver
for the reason Granger made vow
recognising Dowie as a messenger Of
the covenant. the prophet foretold by
Moses and Elijah the restOrer," to
which vow "all family ties and obliga-
tons and all relations to human gov
srnments shall be held subordinate"
The court said he was not obliged to
lrepose confidence in a man so consti-
tkuted that, living in this republic he
lwouid serenely vow his readiness at all
Itimes to abandon his family and betray
his country.
The court ordered an election on the
third Tuesday Of September of gen
eral overseer, all members of the
lChurch residing in Zion City, male and
female to have one vote. He announc-
ed that suitable provision would be
lmade for Dowie on account Of his SER
vices as trustee.
Following is the decision:
1T appears that DoWie, a native Of
Scotland, where he had received a the
illogical education, came from Australia
TO the Pacific coast in 1888 and remain
ed there a number of years engaged in
church work; from there he came to
Chicago and in 1899 undertook the zion
City enterprise in execution of a scheme
conceived by him many years before;
that he purchased a vast tract of land.
a part OF which was subdiVided and
laid out in park and residence property,
provision being made for manufactur-
Ing sites; that the grantees of build
ing lots erected houses accommodating
g. 600 or 5000 people; that DOWie con-
structed school houses and college
buildings at a cost of several hundred
thousand dollars and a tabernacle
seating 1000 people, and that a lace
factory sOsp works and other indus
trial enterprises were established to
give employment to the inhab itants of
Zion City, who were practically all
members of the church. The financing
Of this scheme was ACCOMPLISHED in
ers Of lots under eleven hundred year
leases, but large part of the capital
was money contributed to Dowie by
persons outside of Zion City
Dowie's testimony respecting the or
igin of the property and his relation to
It is then quoted as follows:
i acquired this property by the gen
erosity Of good people throughout the
world; I have looked upon the estate as
the result largely of my own good sense
under God; the money came in the form
of contributions from the same COM
mon source-the people all over the
world-mOst outside of Zion City
7 believe the property to be completely
mine to do with as 7 please, and that
no human being has any claim
or interest IN it consider.
however, that the way
got the property and the way in which
I have It binds me absolutely, when I
have ceased to control 1t, to put it in