Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1906-08-03
zion BELONGS
TO CONTRIBUTORS
DECISION RENDERED BY u. S.
COURT.
DOVIE IS ONLY TRUSTEE
Claims Against Dowie are Now Only
Claims Against the Receiver, and
He Will Be Rewarded for His Ser
vices as Trustee.

O1dAlHS ASdLlSb Iue NcC6lfSl, auU
He Will Be Rewarded for His Ser
vices as Trustee.
Chicago. That Zion City and its
industries do not belong to John AL
exander Dowie; that, while the con-
tributors of the funds did not express
a formal declaration of trust, trust
was created, and Dowie had no right
to treat the property as his own, was
held by Judge Lands of the United
States court in a decision rendered In
the controversy between the adherents
Of Dowie ana Wilbur Voliva over the
property Of Zicn City.
Judge Lands refused to name AL
exander Granger as receiver for the
property, because Of his VOW recog-
nizing Dowie as a messenger of the
covenant" the prophet foretold by
Moses and Elijah, the restorer, to
which VOW, all family ties and obi
cations and all relations to human
governments shall be held subordi-
nate" but instead named John G.
Hatley, member Of the board Of
trade, a capitalist and active worker
in charitable and reform movements.
ID 1., Ruod co. mn
The court ordered an election on
the third Tuesday of September of
general overseer, all members of the
church being entitled to vote.
The effect of the decision is to place
the industrial affairs Of Zion City in
the hands Of the court through the
agency of Mr.. Hatley, while the
church's spiritual matters will come
under the supervision of the overseer
to be elected in September.
Claims against Dowie are now
claims against the receiver. Substan-
tial reward will be made for Dowie
on account of his services as trustee
It was announced by the court.
Dowie IS testimony respecting the II
igin of the property and his relations
to it is then quoted as follows:
81 acquired this property by the
generosity of good people throughout
the world; have looked upon the es-
tate as result largely of my good
sense under God; | believe the proper
ty to be completely mine to do with
it as I please. l consider, however,
that the way l got the property binds
me absolutely, when I have ceased TO
control, to put it in trust in perpetui-
ty for the Christian Catholic Apos-
tohc Church with the exception of
2 1-2 per cent which | think is fair
for myself and family"
The court then traced Dowie's
ch=rch career beginning in Australia
down to his work in Zion City and
found that Dowie had for may years
been in receipt of a large revenue
which he devoted to church and chari- |
ty purposes; that the amounts re-
ceived by him aggregated in some
years $250,000; that Dowie had not |
sought to amass a private fortune, but |
that he engaged in secular occupation
in aid of the propagation of his re-
igious doctrine
The court then says:
''It is well recognized principle |
of equity that where person accepts
money in property to be used sy him
for the advancement of some lawful |
enterprise, such money or property |
constitutes a trust estate.
"The inquiry thea is, did these Of
ferings come to Dowie for his private
purse or did the contributors intend |
that the funds should be devoted to !
charitable or religious uses. If for any |
other purpose than the purely personal
benefit of Dowie, the estate is a trust.
If the relation Of the parties is one Of |
or if he who receives the
money is In position Of influence
over him who gives the money as for
instance, if the person receiving the
money is advocating a religious faith
and by words and attitude and en-
vironment induces a conviction in the
minds of large numbers Of people that,
as an instrumentality of divine au-
thorlty, he can and does relieve physi-
cal ills and is clothed with power 20
exert an influence upon the spiritual
welfare of men and women who there
upon give him of their lands and goods
surrey the motive of such gift ought
not long to remain matter of doubr
in the minds Of rational men. The fact
that such contributions come to him
IN the form Of checks and currency |
through the mail aud express the con
tributOr omitting to require the axeeu-