The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-07-06
DECLARES D0W|E'S
GENIUS INSANITY
Noted AIeniSt Testifies in Fed
eral Court as to Zion
City'S Founder.
EVEN A M0N0MANlAC
CAN ACQUIRE MILLIONS
Deposed Leader Is Said to Be
Unfit for Any Mental Re-
SponsibiIity.

NHlS@SJo, July O.-JOHn fhlekalucl
Dowie, former head OF the Christian
Catholic church, the man who con-
ceived the Idea Of Zion city, and fol-
lowed that conception TO its realiza-
ton, the man who made s7000.000 In
seven years, has been declared to be
insane by DR.. Archibald Church, an
alienist who has attended several ses-
SioDS OF the court in the present Zion
city litigation.
The physician. when ss-examined
by Attorney Haley for Dowie. declared
that DUwie might be insane and still
have the mental capacity to earn
$1,000 600 in seven years.
But he might make mess Of 1t at
any minute said the witness.
States Issue alphabetically
DR.. Church. who was put on the
stand by the Voliva faction, was asked
one question by Attorney Newman
which was intended to cover the entire
ground. The question follows:
Assume an individual who as n child
at the age of years, was n reader for
a theological circle; at the age of 7
years was an expert bookkeeper, who
possessed unusual mental capacity as
q reader and a student; who in his
early manhood saw. on several occa-
siCns, what he supposed to be manifes-
tations OF the Divine will In the form
Of peculiar lights accompanied by ce-
leStial music; who heard voices which
he believed to be those OF heavenly
personages with authority to speak to
him from the Almighty; a man who was
earnest In religious work, endowed with
enthusiasm in his mission, the success
full leader of temperance and religious
movements: man who on one occa.
sioT in Jail had visions of angels with
" hn carried tinDS rp1l..
tive to his life work,
Touches on Dowie's Claims.
Assume a man who believed that on
one occasion, through his prayers,
shipwreck was averted and the course
of a storm changed; assume q man
who believed that he was the agent OF
the Almighty from whom he received
audible communications In the form of
voices at frequent intervals, which
guided his actions. assume man who
believed that through God he had d.
vinn powers of healing; assume a man
who finally believed that he was not
the child of the father whom he had
recognized for over fifty years of his
life, but was In reality the son of
prominent military man of ducal blood;
assume further that he believed that he
was not an ordinary Individual but was
in reality Elijah the Restorer,' that he
w bS Al messenger ol TIC cONSIlaIllr lHtl
he was the first apostle, and that he is
Melchizedek; assume further that after
great physical and mental eXertion, at
the age of 5S years, he had a stroke of
paralysis. which rendered him uncon-
scicus for two hours: that he subse-
uuently partially recovered. that under
conditions of ill-health and fever he
showed some delirium at times, during
which lie cabled long communications
to the crowned heads OF Europe, as
serted intimate relations with them,
and TIE receipt of large sums of money
from them
Refers to Dowic's Superstition.
Assume that he at present time be-
lieves absolutely In his divine agency.
his changed personality. in the reality
OF .he voices which he has heard, and
in the visions which he has seen, and
that for the past ten years of his life
he has entertained suspicious of per-
secution and fear of bodily harm and
assassination through organized bod
les and that this went to the extent
of providing an armored subterranean
room to which he might retreat, incur
ring considerable expense; assuming
all these things to be true, In your
opinion is that man mentally sound or
unsound2"
I'm my opinion, replied Dr.. Church,
''he Is unsound mentally. Undoubtedly
of unsound mind"
"If you saw DR.. Dowic in the witness
stand several times, is he in your judg-
ment capable of having charge OF prop
erty or money to any great amount"
He could not handle my property.
In my opinion he is not flt to care for
any responsibility of any kind"
Calls Dowic MonomaDIac.
What would you call his present
mental condition." asked the court
IT should call It what is ordinarily
known as monomania. not dementia,
however, so far as l know
What would you say OF the mental
condition of any man who believed
that this man was what he claimed to
be, Elijah the Restorer?' =" asked At
torney Haley in cross examination
II should say that 1t was purely a
matter of faith, not a matter of logic
or reasoning. The person might have
the idea, and still not be of unsound
mind"
Suppose this man should buy many
acres of land, build city and in six
or seven years make $4,000, 900 or ST.
900 on his investment, would you
call this man insane?"
He might be insane, and still be
able to carry on great business, being
liable to make mess Of 1t at any
time"
did you ever see an insane man
like this man.
II never saw q man with such men
tai capacity in one direction with such
fixed hallucinations"
Have you read the Bible"
Parts Of IT,"
do you remember the prophets in
that book?'
Ny1i hnlfoun hat
were lnsane?"
II have not seen enough Of the data
in any of these cases TO express an
opinion"
Two Killed In Collision.