Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-10
ZION SLEEPING ON ITS ARMS
City Founded by Dr., Dowie Awaits His Re-
turn This Morning,
TRUMP CARD RESERVED FOR THE CRISIS
STEPS Taken 70. shear. Return of the
Prophet of Any Dramatic Fea-
UNREGISTERED Iron barred
Room Found.

sleeping on Its arms tonight, to qaote
one OF the erstwhue followers OF John
Alexander Dowie, awaiting the coming OF
the "firtt apostle" There il but one SUBJ
ject Of conversation and that is the pos
sible eventualities ofgtoflorrow, which is
expected to sec Dowie again set foot in the
community he founded.
Another mass meeting was held tonight
in Shiloh tabernacle and final instructions
given by Overseer Voliva, the new manager
Of lions affairs, for the conduct of loyal
followers OF the new regime when the de-
posed prophet attempts TO regain his
scepter.
Dowie has been heralded as swooping
down on the city in blaze df wrath, de-
claring that an 'underling cannot depose
his creator" The onslaught, so far as to-
nights meeting showed. Is awaited with
repressed anxiety but outward composure.
With Voliva in the center of the stage
overseers and deacons of the church to-
night urged members of the congregati ton
to shear Dowies entrance of any dra-
matte tnge by remaining away from the
railway station, busying themselves as
usual with the common affairs of life as
though there never had been an Eli
JAN H."
While Il is believed that practically all
members of the church will refrain from
giving Dowie any open signs either of ap-
prevail or dsapproval tomorrow. it is al
most certain that there are still a few peo-
pie still faithful to the founder Of the city,
and they will be at the Northwestern de-
! pot to meet him. Among these it is ex-
| pected there will be number OF negroes
for today in the houses OF two brothers.
both colorsd, Autographs bearing the like
ness of Dowie were placed in the windows
and were kept there despite numerous
vigorous requests that the offending pic
lures be removed.
Trump Card Reserved.
| Gladstone Dowie, with his mother, is
expected to meet the first attack of the
deposed apostle in the privacy of Shiloh
house, tonight repeated solemnly the state
Ihent he has often made of late that IL
'the old man insisted on a fight he CGlad-
stone) still had a card up his sleeve"
which was being reserved for the crisis.
What this card is has never been made
public, but the present management OF
Zion apparently regards It as a trump Of
great potency, And inasmuch as scarcely
anybody thinks Dowie will lay down his
arms until thoroughly beaten, it is ex-
peoted that this card will be thrown face
upward on the table tomorrow. II not to-
morrow, then wednesday, when large
meeting with Dowie barred will be held
in the tabernacle
secret IrOn-Barred Room.
Overseer Voliva, the first speaker at
tonights meeting, said that Dowie had a
secret iron-baTred room i'm his home, which
was for the first time entered by an OUT
slider today. He said:
4 It will surprise@ yeii to learn that in
. Shiloh house Eterp Vrls the most cIipious
1 room in America THE Car OF Russia may
asEs one {6sr ana tsS one but who would 9i[
of 1iony We knew there was a room kept
always locked;aHd. into which Dowie him
hut to do so we had TO batter through two
Iron doors. The room was like a vault,
except that the bolts aud bars were mostly
| on the inside. Light came into the room
through bullseye window, the outside OF
which was protected by heavy. iron shut
ters, Air was admitted through funnel.
There was bed inside, bed so curious
that 1 can not attempt to describe it, And
this room, this cell. was built by and for
ask you to tell him what fear was like.
Mrs. Dowie, to fortify herself against the
anticipated strain of tomorrow did not
attend the meeting. but spent the evening
quietly at home with a few friends.
DOVvie BIames His Wife.
POPLAR BLUFF. Mo, April SIT it is
true that she said these things, then l shall
never live Win ner again. with these
words DR.. John Alexander Dowie Informed
q representative OF the Associated Press to-
day that he intended to separate from the
woman who has for thirty years been his
wife. He spoke earnestly and sorrowfully,
but there was a grimness Of expression on
the First Apostles face which made it evil
dent that he believed that the mother of
his children had much to do with melting
the recent rebellion in Zion. This climax
In the domestic affairs OF DR.. Dowie caused
little surprise to Deacons Lewis and Peters,
both of whom were present during the in
terview. They nodded approval to the sem
timents expressed by their leader. and Des-
con Lewis added that the world little knew
of the trials through which DIR. Dowie
has passed in recent years because Of do
nestle infelicity. For years he has shielded
her. continued the deacon, but recently
her conduct has been such as to render
further forbearance human impossibiIity."
VIII stop In Chicago.
The doctor received the correspondent In
the compartment of his Pullman The day
was hot, but the First Apostle seemed to
suffer little from'the unpleasantness OF the
weather and in fact looked stronger and
better than he has yet appeared since cross
ing the border from Mexico into the United
States on his journey back TO Zion. Much