The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-04-25
My Experiences With
---=----=>~-- <<01,." DOwie


<~~~>A<~>o<~
ties and other ministerial studies
He was popular; he was a worker:
he was the leader in all the sensa-
tional and best liked departments OF
the school. Well, it was not long be-
fore he was the private secretary of
the president himself.
Gaining that point was mere cir
cumstance. 1t was not long before
John Dowie was recognized as the
leader of the whole institution. The
overshadowed them all. He was wise
and crafty.
| Zone day news came to the boys
that the president of the institution
was desperately i'll. I was one of
the first to reach him. l conveyed
to him all the information l could
relative to the financial standing Of
the institution. AS nearly as / can
remember there was bona fide in
vested interest of no less than 3d.
100000.
| "Our real leader became so des-
perately sick that he was urged to
leave Australia at once and proceed
to London.
But what was he to do with that
big Congregational institution he
had built to such proportions? A
meeting of the leaders was called
and in that meeting Dowie so in
gratiated himself into the good
graces of the organizer of that inst
tuition that he was left in full charge
of the whole thing.
Before leaving our leader had APP
pointed Dowie overseer, had clothed
him with power of attorney and left
him as completely in charge as
though the entire investment were
Dowie's. This left the great CON-
munity under the thumb of Dowie.
For several days everything went
|
magnetic character. Everybody liked
him and he got along very nicely.
But his moves were we'll planned and
deeply laid. Day after day moved
along and devoted teachers that had
been connected with the institution
for years, in fact, since it's organiza-
ton, were removed without appar-
ent cause. Little by little Dowie's
own personal friends were placed
over every department. Dowie's
doctrines were beginning to super
sede the teachings of the founder.
Dowie's methods crowded out the
conservative and honest endeavors
that years of hard work had per-
fected. And Dowie's methods were
radical.
His first move was to keep in his
own possession all the income of the
institution. This was followed by
sale of some of the property that was
not contiguous to the school. Then
with one clean scoop he transferred
the entire property to himself and
defied the whole congregation.
"Our leader was soon notified of
the usurpation of Dowie and tele-
graphed a cancellation of the power
of attorney. 1t was not considered
legal and the sick man came again
to his home, only to find 1t des-
poiled of all its former prestige.
Dowie was intrenched behind the
best legal talent that could be Sc
cured. Everything was planned for
a long, hard and fierce fight in court.
"Well, the suit was long drawn
out and was finally settled. Dowie
was given the alternative of leaving
Melbourne at once or serving term
in the penitentiary. He chose the
former and landed a month later,
with his son, daughter and wife at
San Francisco with less than 800
in his pocket"
This incident Of Dowie's beginning
as a mountebank and CRATER is
quoted above as nearly as I can re-
member it. With the exception OF
a few minor details, 1t Is unquestion-
ably true The Herald is the first
paper in the United States to pub
lish the facts. The story has been In
my possession several years. but for
some reason or another have al
ways delayed writing it until now.
The popularity Of the story is the
similarity OF the narrative to the pre-
dicament into which the crafty old
rascal has placed his own self. Be-
fore leaving on his trip to Jamaica
he lef W. Glenn Voliva in full COM
mand of Zion City, clothed with the