Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-13
DOW|E PREPARES
BIG LEGAL FIGHT
BUT BOTH SIDES AVERSE TO
COURT TRIAL
Fears Resources of Zion Might Be
0amaeed-First Apostle coIIapses
and Appeals to the
Almighty
BY Associated Press.

CHICAGO, April 11.-Dr. John Alex
ander Dowie will not turn tail and flee
to Mexico. He will wage a vigorous
legal warfare to regain control of Zion
City, and as soon as he considers that
he has taken the proper preliminary
steps he will descend upon that place
and proclaim himself the only and first
apostle.
This statement is authorized by Or"
Dowie himself, and by the firm of
lawyers who represent him.
In this connection Attorney P. G.
Haley of the firm of Edison, Haley &
Wetten, who represent Dowie and his
counselors, made the following state
ment:
I'VE have advised and will advise
only one consideration, the complete
restoration of power, temporal as well
as ecclesiastical, and a demand for an
absolute retraction of the slanderous
statements by General Overseer Voliva
and his followers against the moral
character of Dowie.
I'VE are preparing bill in chancery,
petitioning the courts to set aside the
transfer of the property at Zion City
made between General Overseer Voliva
and Deacon Alexander Graham be-
cause the instrument is absolutely void.
Dowie revoked the power of attorney
which he had delegated to Voliva two
days before the Illegal transfer was
made.
"Dowie will not Immediately pro-
ceed to Zion City, but will remain in
his apartments at the Auditorium An
mex in this city until every preliminary
fn1y 10 Hfrfl
then proceed to Zion City and enter
it with all of the power and authority
which he possessed when he last left
the place."
Attorneys Conferring
Despite the positive assertion on the
part OF Mr.. Haley, attorneys for both
factions were in numerous conferences
head of the legal department of
Zion City, came to Chicago today and
was closeted with Attorney Emil c..
Wetten, representing Dowie, for
considerab BILE length of time. What
transpired between the two lawyers
was not made public, but Mr.. Wetten
was as emphatic as his associate in
denying that any compromise measures
were under way. He qualified this
statement by saying that both sides
were extremely desirous of preventing
such a proceeding might be ruinous to
the resources of Zion City.
The attorneys for DoWie have secured
an order from the postal department
directing that all mail addressed to DR..
Dowie be delivered to his apartments
in the Annex. This they consider
very important strategic movement, as
the majority of these letters are from
members of the church remitting their
tithes They claim this will checkmate
the general order sent out by Voliva
and his associates in Zion City, order
ing that no money be RENTED to DoWie
hereafter.
CoIIapses at Midnight
Dowie's controversy with Voliva and
the other revolutionists at Zion City
shrank into significance shortly before
last midnight, at which hour the self
styled apostle faced the Great Maker
of all. On his knees in the center of his
chamber in the Auditorium Annex,
whence he had stumbled from his bed in
the midst of a racking illness, DIR.
Dowe invoked heavenly aid i'm what
may be his final struggle with disease.
1t was at the close of a strenuous day
that the Zionist was attacked. His
collapse seemed so extreme that his
personal attendants, all of whim have
heen taught to shun medicine, urged
that they be allowed to send for a
physician.
II want no DOCTOR" said Dowie,
feebly. II will have no physician. I
shall ask divine assistance; that is the
only real help"
With convulsive movement Dowie
struggled from his bed and stumbled
toward the center OF the room. He had
gone but few feet when he sank to
his knees and muttered prayer. His
attendants carried him back to bed
again, and at o'clock this morning he
WAS said to be Sleeping.