The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-09
Every Man Save One Deserts
the Apostle al Great Meet
ing in the Tabernacle
CLAD IN SIMPLE ROBE
VOL VA OENOUNCES OOWIE
Audience of Six Thousand Rises En-
masse In Protest Against the
Wrongdoings of the Foun-
der of Zion City.

Zion City, Ills, April S-The people of
Zion City heard their former leader. John
Alexander Dowie denounced from the pull
pit in Shiloh tabernacle today, and they
approved of it. or at least as many of
them could crowd into that vast meet
ing house signified their willingness to
follow General Overseer Voliva. Zions
new leader told of DR.. Dowie's alleged
misdeeds, and the more bitter and scath-
ing his words of denunciatlon, the more
general and enthusiastic was the approval
of his listeners.
When after denouncing DowIe as
"spendthrift" "lar" and a traitor to
his trust and his people," Overseer vo-
liva suddenly demanded decision of
the audience as to who should be their
future leader. the 5000 people in the tab
ernacle arose as one person and signified
their willingness to- follow Voliva to the
end
Todays meeting was called for 2:30
o'clock in 5.he afternoon but as early as
10 o'clock in the morning all the streets
leading to the house of worship were
filed with zionists, some walking, others
riding in carriages, but all headed in one
direction-Shiloh tabernacle. :.
When Overseer Volva accompanied by
Mrs. yoliva and their little daughter
reached the meeting house. the place was
full to overfowing
On the platform with Voliva we're Mrs
John Alexander Dowie. Judge Barns,
head of the law department of Zion City,
and overseers speicher. Excel Cantel
and Granger
Clad In Simple Robe.
Al the conclusion of 4 short prayer
/ BY O9erseer Speicher lie newly appoint
ed head of Zion clad in a robe of simple
white and black, a decided departure
from the gaudy raiment assumed by the
first apostle on similar occasions, an
nounced in calm and studied voice that
| ne was going to take advantage of to-
! days meeting to tell them a few truths
/ about the man whom they had so faith
fully followed for years. He told in the
first few words he uttered of the 'perfidy
of John Alexander There was no one
| in the tabernacle who showed more ap-
proval of his remarks than Overseer Jane
Dowie, the wife for thirty years of John
| Alexander Dowle and the mother of his
| three children
When Voliva in angry tones exclaimed,
|
and expensive library adornng Dowies
Zion City residence, and which were pur-
| chased by that hypocrte while many OF
/ his people were In need of food are sold
and the money turned into Zion City
| storehouses," Mrs. Dowie half rose from
her seat and with voice and hands APP
plauded the speaker.
Spent Money for Own Comfort.
Overseer yoiva told how money had
been spent for Dowie's own comfort
while the creditors and the people Of Zion
were demanding money Voliva cited as
his own experience that he had been com
PEELED to keep himself and family of
| five on $50 month, and that of this he
| had been compelled to turn over a tenth
| in tithes to the church. Voliva declared
| that he had been sending the storehous at
| Zion City an average of S170O a month, and
| that the other deacons doing the same
| kind of missionary work had done fully
as well for the church. He informed his
listeners that the greater portions of
these funds had been squandered by
Dowie.
In bringing his announcement to a close
voliva said:
Fay In Granger's Name.
Alexander Granger owns this taber-
nace. This church owns this entrement.
| What / want you to do it to send all
tithes and offerings to Zion in the name of
Overseer Granger, instead of in the name
of John Alexander Dowe Make all
checks and all commercial paper of every
description payable to Alexander Granger.
| The day has come when you ought to act
| as men and women l don't want you to
do anything by constraint. l want to be
calm and straightforward, and present
these matters In such a way that none
can truthfully say that you were excited,
or acted on the impulse of the moment
| If you want to stand for downright lying,
| hypocrisy, shameful misuse of moneys
keep your seats. but all of these present
who are tired of his lying, his exaggera-
tions. his misrepresentau;ons, and his in
constituencies, his gross ignorance of all
business laws and principles, stand up as
an evidence of their announcement of
Dowie and his methods"
Response Was instantaneous.
| The response was instantaneous, every
one in the building rising to their feet
| He then requested all present to keep
away from the railway station next Tues
day when Dowie Is expected to reach
| Zion City.
| II don't want you to go down there and
| listen to his egotistical harangue, said
| yoliya. 'If he should try any of his
spectacular antics on his arrival here.
we will soon put stop TO It,
After the meeting the zoO Zion guards.
or policemen. were sworn in to support
yoliva y all his undertakings, and all ex-
| cent onA iook the oath of allegiance.
| mess Age was received from Dowie
during the afternoon stating that he
would arrive here Tuesday morning, and
ordering Shiloh house his residence in
zion City, to be prepared for his home
coming. Voliva after reading this mes
sage. stated in emphatic terms that Dowie
| l.a al
| door of what was formerly his home.
London Confirms Deposition.
! Iondon. April s.-The Zionist here today
| confirmed the deposition of John Alexan-
| der Dowie.
st. Louis Dowieites Denounce voliva.