Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-17

~ SHALL return. and with ruthless
hand exterminate the vipers and
the dogs of hell that now hold the
II high places In the city of Zion.
They dreamed. and In the gross
ness OF their dreams they thought they had
prevailed over the first apostle. And now,
priests and elders of Zion. I shall return to
strike you down. I shall return in an
other form. brighter and more beautiful
and 10000 times more terrible. to cut ye
off I'm the midst of your sins. and to win
back Zion for the truth and for them that
held to the word and did no evils" With
this final jeremiad the prophet Elijah Ill
John Alexander Dowie. announces his tenn
porary death to the recusant of the city Of
Zion. And that with Hindu god there
is potent belief In his power to make fur
Their descents upon earth-avatars, as 1t
were-for curing and curslng is demon
strate not only by the expectation of ven
geance upon the prophets rival Volva by
the loyal. but in the attitude of the elders
of the church such as Carl Edeburn Of New
York, who in Pittsburg last Sunday on his
way to attend the prophets funeral cere-
monies said:
Master Dowie has only passed into a
deep slumber. from which he will awaken
In the near future in another part of the
world
1T is most ridiculous to say he has died
He is immune from death. and this he will
demonstrate by appearing on this earth.
gifted with more power than he has hereto
fore possessed"
In this open-eyed. critical scientific TWEEN
ueth century an ancient medieval incl
dent IS being enacted with an earnestness
and completeness of detail that should do
much to interpret the myths of the heroic
Like Arthur of Briton. after the last grim
battle in the west when the heather hordes
SWarmlng over seas had overcome the
champion OF Christendom. wounded and
apparently dead. Dowie is being carried
away by Lady of the Lake to rest him
In happy Avalon from whence he will re-
turn 10 yanquish his assailants. In realms
or celtic fancy In the fourth century the
miracles of Dowie, his demonstrated cures,
his magnetic healing. his power of organ
lzatlon, the bardic eloquence and tumul-
tuouS energy of abusive epithet for the un-
reclaimed and the baCk-falling his prac-
teal genius, would have found no skeptics.
no opponents. no derIders
-
Like Arthur again he might with impu-
nifty deny that he was the son of his ac-
credited father and claim mystical. and
miraculous origin. and all the faithful, with
the evidence OF his mighty deeds before
them. would lend the ear of faith
Dowie, in another light. may be looked
on as Barbarossa, the great chieftain of
Dowie has built up com. arcial and re-
lisious community. begun with 500 in 1880,
and estimated to be worth S3O,OOOOOO in
little more than ten years. Barbarossa is
sleeping in the mountains. to return when
his people need his aid Already those who
tailed Duwie in his last moments are awed
by his unfailing power. and a panic was
narrowly averted at his funeral ceremo-
MES because of the announcement that
another Of Volivas followers was dying
In he last week three of his lieutenants,
who held similar positions under Dowie.
have died suddenly, and when 1t was stated
tHat a fourth was likely to die before
morning several OF the mourners ran from
the tabernacle. shouting that Zion was ac-
cursed by God.
This excited the rest of the three thou
sand mourners. and before the cooler head
ei leaders could get among the people 10
counsel quietness fully 800 had left the
building