The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-03-15
CAREER OF DOWIE
ENDS At zion CITY
FOUNDER OF CHRISTIAN CATH.
oLIC CHURCH PASSES AWAY
LIKE KING IN EXILE.
Great Funeral Planned for Deposed
Leader of the Famous Religious
CoIony-Sketch of Remarkable Ca
reer Of the prophet"

Christian Catholic church is dead.
Penniless, and like king in exile
shorn of all his temporal power, the
white-haired prophet went to his last
rest at 7:40 o'clock Saturday morning.
At the bedside when he passed away
were two personal attendants-his for
mer coachman, Freeman Hachnel, and
his negro body servant, John Hersh-
field.
The death of the deposed leader of
the north shore religious colony caus-
ed a great sensation throughout Zion
City. His end was not entirely unex-
pected. Brights disease is the sup
posed cause Of death.
Gladstone Dowie and Mrs. Dowie,
who for six months have been forbid
den entrance to Shiloh House, were at
their lodge, Ben McDhui, near White
hall, Mich, and were Immediately no.
titled. They left at once for Zion
City.
Union Funeral Services.
The few faithful followers of Dowie
forced the Voliva faction to arrange
for funeral services in which both
factions should take part. The serv-
ices in Shiloh house will be Thurs
day afternoon and will be conducted
by Deacon o. L. Speicher. The inter-
ment will be in Lake Mound cemetery
Thursday afternoon. Public memorial
services will be held in the tabernacle
later in the day, V. V. Barnes off,
ciating.
Arrayed in his richly embroidered
apostolic robes and lying in a massive
white casket, Dowie will rest in state
at Shiloh house from Tuesday noon
until Thursday, the public being ad-
mitted from one to three o'clock Tues
day, from ten to IL and from two to
four on Wednesday, and from ten to
IL on Thursday morning.
According to one of the men who
had been faithful to Dowie to the end,
a huge tomb commanding Lake Michi-
gan will be erected as an eternal
monument to his memory.
Story of His Life.
Born of Scotch parentage in 1S47.
John Alexander Dowie as boy was
member of the Presbyterian church.
Little is known of his early life. He
went to Australia in 1878, when he
was 81 years old, and there began his
career as divine healer" and evan
gelist that in little over quarter OF
a century made him the head of the
Zion church, with following of over
$4,000 in every country of the world
and the virtual master of property
valued at $21,000.000. Had he been
able to carry out his Mexican planta-
ton scheme, the largest of his later
year plans, he would have increased
his property to nearly double it's value
at the time of his death.
In 1888 he left Australia and, with
wife and children. landed in San
Francisco, where he lived two years
before coming to Chicago.
Real Career Begins in Chicago.
His real career dates from the day
he reached Chicago. When he reached
this city he was penniless and a hotel
in Madison street where he stopped
with his family during the first month
he was here was compelled to attach
his baggage in order to secure the
payment of a bill of $27.
At first his evangelistic efforts in
Chicago were of limited kind. He
passed two years laying the founda-
lions of his work and it was not until
the fall of 1892 that he was noticed in
the newspapers.
Founding of Zion City.
His first great business venture was
the purchase of the old tabernacle
building at Fourteenth street and
Michigan avenue. After he had occu-
pied this building for several years,
filling it nearly every Sunday, he de-
veloped his plans for the founding Of
Zion City. The north shore theocracy
is laid out on tract of land consisting
of $500 acres, having frontage of
two miles on Lake Michigan and
depth of six miles, being crossed by
the Chicago, Milwaukee & ST. Paul
railroad.
In 1900 Dowie took trip to Pales-
tine, where he passed several months
going over the Holy Land. A few
years later he made special trip to
New York city, taking with him 5000
of his followers. This trip was his
first failure. The press Of the city
bitterly attacked him, showing up his
past life, his career in Australia and
other places, and he was finally vir-
tually driven from the city because of
the hostile reception. The cost of the
pilgrimage was enormous and was a
severe drain upon his finances, and
when he returned to Zion City he was
broken in health and spirit.
Health Fails, Revolt Comes.
It was shortly after this that his
health began to fail him and he made
several trips to the Bermuda islands
and Mexico for the purpose of re-
cuperating. All his efforts failed,
however.
1t was while he was on one of these
trips to Jamaica and old Mexico that
he appointed Wilbur Glenn Voliva as
overseer, giving him general power
of ATTORNEY. and through this appOint-