Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1907-03-09
JOHN ALEXANDER D0W|E
F|NALLYPASSES away
IIead Of Christian Catholic Church and Of Zion City Dies
After Illness Of Five Weeks Claimed to
Be Elijah lie ResiOrer.

He was studying the doctrines Of the
Congregational church when. reading
his Bible. he began his contentious
that Christ meant to cure the body
~ veil as the soul. lie held that
prayer. accompanied by the laying
On of hands. would effect the cure re
aaired. He BEGAN the propagation oil
his belief. but became 90 bolsterous
that he was several times lodged IN
Jail II finally became too warm for
him and he went 10 Melbourne,
where In 1878 he set up the "Free
chrisiian Tabernacle" Fever was
raging In the country. and he began
his practice os laying on of hands.
There was more opposition. and he
Ion Australia
In 1883 he landed In San Francisco
Tie had his wife and two children
and little money. Dowle's money.
getting ability was sooa demonstrat,
ed. He gathered sufficient funds 20
70 10 Chicago In 1899. Then began
tho remarkable career which soon ut.
tracted Worldwide attention.
It was the year Of the Chicago
worlds fair ana Dowie set up a tab.
just outside the exposition
grounds. The doctrines he expound'
cd we're the seedlings Of those he
Developed later. They were not new.
They held that disease was q very
real thing. but was due 10 evil. which
In turn was the work Of the devil.
Dowie came before the people with a
peculiarly strong power Of magnet.
Ism. 4 compelling force OF suggestion.
The people saw. heard and acted.
Thousands enlisted under the banner
or the man. They were convinced
= he was what he proclaimed him.
seIf te be. and possibly what In his
lysteria he believed himself to be.
. second Elijah. Within q few years
he had fitted up palatial quarters and
maintained homes, schools, u bank, a
weekly paper and various other I'm.
TO promote his schemes. He
'aid thousands OF dollars weekly to
'ent the largest halls In Chicago and
hese were packed 10 near him rant
lbout the newspapers who denounced
lin. the preachers and medical men.
lie and his family lived in regal state.
His son. Gladstone. graduated from
me of the best universities In the
country and his daughter likewise
vas we'll educated.
lie went to New York In q special
rain. accompanied by a large retinue
Il servants and no end of baggage.
rom New York he sailed for Eu.
ope, paying $500 for staterooms on
he steamer Graf Waldersee. In Lon
lon he lived In royal state at the
iotel Cecil.
Then came the execution Of an
ther OF the mans great projects
he purchase of 5000 acres of land at
Ill.,, as a site for Zion City.
nd the next day a call upon his peo-
lie for another 100000.
Following quickly on these decisive
teps, Dowie began a campaign for
he regeneration of London. He was
eered and hooted and mobbei. He
rent across the chanpel and met a
Ike reception. He returned to Lon.
on, only TO have the treatment re.
eated. and then he abandoned the
'orid's metropolis.
One OF his most spectacular efforts
'as that for the regeneration of
'reater New York. October IL, 1903.
light special trains, bearing some
hing like 1000 of the faithful, head
d by the prophet, left Chicago for
he Eastern metropolis. The crusade
'as to cost not less than $500, 900.
'owie hired Madison Square Garden.
ut the people would not go to his
,eetings. He gave up the crusade
nd went back to Zion City, there to
@ sued by his creditors, another In.
ication of the approaching end.
Dowie decided upon trip around the
'orld. He went to Australia. whence
e cabled OF great success In his
'ork. Two days after his cable mes
age was sent he was mobbed In
ydney. He returned home by way
million dollars and had proven an
million dollars and had proven an
tier failure. Arriving at Zion City
nee more he found himself In finan.
ial trouble. Still the man kept on.