The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1907-03-15
MYSTERIOUS WILL.
bowie Believed to Have Cut Off
Wife and Son
DIED AS HE HAD LIVED
Shiloh House Seized by Receiver
Almost as Soon as Breath Lett
"PrOphet's'' Body--Something
About the Lite OF the "Healer"

SulCdSOy AldTcu ll.--JOun AleAdIuel
Dowie, "Elijah H." as he called him
self, the founder of the Christian Cath,
Ollie church. who died in Shiloh house
i'll Zion City Saturday, has left mys-
FERROUS will, in which, it is believed,
the prophet cuts off his wife and A.
Gladstone Dowie, "the unkissed' son,
with a pittance. The wife and son may
contest this will. They were far away
when he died.
DOwie died as he had lived, denounc-
ing his enemies and in the next breath
praying. He had made creed and It's
communicates had accommodated
him. He had built a city and its in
habttants had exled him. He drew
thousands about him, who all but Wor-
shipped him, but he died deserted by
all but few.
Zion City was thrown into panic Tor
a time. a run on the already defunct
bank was threatened. The receiver
seized Shiloh house before DOwie had
been dead many minutes. Hundreds O
people fiocked into the streets and
talked some sadly, of their dead master.
Receiver Hately, placed in charge of
Zion by Judge lands when DoWie was
finally deposed, declared that it had not
vet been decided whether Zion indus
tries would shut down when Dowie is
buried.
Even to the last breath, the aged
prophet" showed his indOminable will.
His last words plainly indicated this
feeling. He said 81 have fought
GOOD fight, /" The aged wife sat
alone in her home in Michigan. She did
not expect him to die, although he had
been i'll for months with Brights dis
ease. When the telegram reached her
she was Frustrated. Her son, also, was
affected They sobbed continually
At the bedside Of the dying leader
were Judge Barnes. formerly strong
adherent of Dowie, but for some time a
councillor with Voliva; Frank Hatch
field, the negro bodyguard; Samuel
Thad. Freeman Haenel and Miss Nil
stem Hansen, servant and nurse. The
end came quietly and peacefully.
John Alexander Dowie was born in
Edinburgh 60 years ago. When he was
10 years of age he went to Adelaide,
Australia. where for seven years he en-
gagged in such business enterprises as
belonged to an enterprising young
Scotchman. He left this work to study
for the ministry in Edinburgh, where
he took a five years course in theology
and the arts. After six years of de-
nominational activity Dowie forsook
his church and in 1878 went to Mel
bourne, where he set up Free Chris
tian tabernacle and organized divine
healing association. He became its
president and gained fame by going out
into the country during the prevalence
of putrid fever and apparently effecting
many cures by prayer and the laying
on of hands. After spending 10 years
in Melbourne, Dowie landed in San
Francisco in 1888. Finally he made his
way to Chicago.
When the fair was over and there was
more time to take stock of the attrac-
lions that remained, Dowie secured an
increased attention from the press. He
owed much of his popularity to the at
tempt of the newspapers to down him.
That gave him opportunity to denounce
the newspapers, and that passed for
courage; and the newspapers printed
his animadversions, and this increased
his audiences. And all the time the
number of his patients increased.
He both preached and practised, and
what he preached for the most part was
the gospel and a gospel of righteous
living And besides this, he had both |
skill or nerve in business, for he soon |
had Zion bank, Zion college and large
hotel, which he set aside as a hospice. |
but which was really hospital where
he treated patients by the laying on of
hands and prayer. His laying ON of
hands" soon passed into a joke, for it |
was declared that he laid hands ON his
patients, and all they had. But those
who gave him their money gave him
also affection and marvellous loyalty.
Dowie started on a trip around the
world to try his luck in the role of a
modern Elijah, but he was hOoted at
and his religion received with deriSion.
He returned a year ago. and then came
the appointment of a receiver at the in
stained of some of his creditors.
He STAYED this off for time, but last
spring the financial scheme which had
been the concomitant of his religion
There was no money in
Zion to speak of, because Dowie had
AIKEN most of it himself
Eighteen months ago Dowie began the
of a second Zion City in Mex
co. While engaged in this undertaking
lis health failed and he went to ia
naica shortly before Christmas. 1905,
or his health. While there he suffered
stroke Of paralysis.
legislature Acts In kidnapping Case
Dover. Del. March S.-The state leg
stature has appropriated $1,000 to be
lsed in hiring detectives and helping to