Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-03-09
PROPHET DOW|E
DIES SUDDENLY
Founder of Zion
City Succumbs to
Long Illness
FEW At HIS BEDSIDE
When End Came. Remark
able Life of Dreamer Who
Apostled Strange Creed.

Chicago, March 9.--John Alexander
Dowie died at 7:40 o'clock this morn
ing at Shiloh House, Zion City There
were present at the death bed only
Judge d. N. Barnes and two personal
attendants.
Dowie had been failing rapidly for
the past five weeks and during that
time he had not appeared in pubic
Friday he received a few of his fol
lowers and seemed to be in about the
same condition as he had been for the
last two weeks.
End Came Quickly
Shortly before O'Clock this morn
ing Dowie became delirious and his
talk was the same as at religious meet
ings in the days of his prime. Grad
ually he became weaker and his at
tendant telephoned for Judge Barnes
who arrived at seven o'clock. Forty
minutes later Dowie was dead.
No arrangements have as yet been
made for the funeral.
Scotchman BY Birth.
John Alexander Dowie was born in
Ednburg, Scotland, May 25. 1S47. In
1860 his parents removed to Adelaide
Australia, where for seven years, as a
youth, he was clerk in large bust
ness house. He saved his money to
retdrn to Edinburg at the age of
twenty to take flve-year course in
theology and arts
Set Up Free Christian Tabernacle.
Six years of denominational activity
wearied Dowie and, in 1878, he went
to Melbourne, Australia, where he set
up a free Christian tabernacle the
first one of its kind in the country
and organized a divine healing asso.
citation which afterwards became in
ternational in character.
Dowie became president of this as.
sociation and gained fame by going
into the country during the prevalence
OF putrid fever and apparently effect.
Ing many cures by prayer and laying
on of the hands.
Settled in Chicago in 1890.
He arrived in San Francisco in 1888
and In 1890 removed to Chicago which
was the theater of his great work.
During the next five years he was ar.
rested at least a hundred times for
violating the city ordinances relating
to the care of the sick, but Dowie
gained In popularity constantly.
Proclaimed Himself Elijah.
The Christian Catholic Church in
Zion City was formally organized in
February 1896, Dowie becoming Its
general overseer. Four years later
before large audience, he announced
that he was Elijah, the restorer
spoken of in Holy writ. Previous to
this he marked out his plan for Zion
City, the crowning effort of his life.
Founded Zion City.
In August, 1901, the first building
was erected in Zion City, which year
later had population of ten thousand
people. In Zion City as well as in
the church, Dowie reigned supreme
The title of six thousand acres bought
with the money of his sect rested in
him. All the lots were leased, not
sold
In December 1908, Zion City was
placed under the control of fedora
receivership. which was dissolved a
week later on Dowie's showing his
ability to pay dollar for dollar on all
the Indebtedness. AT the time Dowie
estimated his holdings at $25,OOO,OO0
Stricken With Paralysis.
Eighteen months later Dowie began
the promotion of the second Zion City
in Mexico. While engaged in this un.
dertaling his health failed and he
went to Jamaica to recuperate. While
there he suffered stroksrof paralysis
from which he never fully recovered
1t was at this time that he appointed
Wilbur Glenn Voliva, his first lieu
tenant and general overseer of the
church.
Deposed BY VoIiva.
voliva by the power of attorney
vested in him by Dowie had all the
property belonging to the church
transferred from Dowie to Oyerseer
Granger, charging extravaganza and
gross mismanagement by Dowie.
In addition he called a meeting OF
all the Zionists and denounced Dowie
With the exception of less than 200 OF
Dowie's former followers all the in.
habitants chose Voliva as their future
leader and sent word to Dowie that
ne had been deposed. Dowie lmmedi.
ately returned and took the contro.
versy to the courts for settlement.
------------------------