Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1907-03-09

Chicago. March s.-John Aiexxn-
der Dowie died at 7:ao this morniax
at Shiloh house. Zion City. There
were present only Judge ID. y
Barnes and two personal attendants
Dowie had been failing Tor the pal
five weeks and during thai time hsd
not appeared in public. FRIDAY he r.
ceised a few Of his followers and
seemed about In the same condision
az for the last two weeks .
Shortly before one o'cioek this
morning. Dowie became dsitFfcus
and his talk was the same ~ st ~.
ligious meetings I'm the days OF hrs
prime. Gradually he became weaker
and the attendant telephoned for
Barnes. who arrived al seven. Forty
minutes later. Dowie was dead. No
arrangements yet have been made
for the funeral.
Dowie was born IN Edinburg. Scot.
land. May rs. 1s47. In 1860 his par.
ents removed TO Adelaide. Australia.
where for seven years OF his youth
he was a clerk I'm business house.
He saved money 90 return TO Edin.
burg at the age OF twenty. 10 take
five years. course In theology and
arts. Six years of denominational
activity wearied Dowie and In 1875
hs went to Melbourne. where he set
up a free Christian tabernacle, the
first OF the kind. and organized q
divine healing association which az.
became International In.
character He became president of
the association and gained fame by
going into the country during the
prevalence Of a putrid fever and ap..
etfecting many cnres hy
prayer and the laying on Of hands
He arrived I'm San Francisco In 1883
and in 1890 removed TO Chicago.
This was the theater Of his great
work. During the next five years
he was arrested at least a hundred
times for violating city ordinances.
relating to the care OF the sick, but
gained In popularity constantly. The
Christian Catholic church in Zion
City was formally organized on Feb.
ruary I. 1896, Dowie becoming gen
eral overseer Five years later be,
fore a large audience he announced
that he was Elijah. the restorer
spoken of In Malachi Previous to
this. he marked out his plan for Zion
City. the crowning effort OF his life.
In August, 1901, the first building
was erected in Zion City. which
year later had a population Of ten
thousand. In Zion City as wen as
In the church. Dowfe was supreme.
The title Of six thousand acres,
bought with money OF the sect. rest.
ed in him. Lots were leased, not
sold. In December, 1908. Zion City
was placed under control OF a feder.
al receivership, which was dissolv.
ed week later on Dowie's showing
ability to pay dollar for dollar on all
At the time Dowie es-
timated his holdings at S25. 900. 900
Eighteen months later Dowie began
The promotion Of second Zion City
IN Mexico. While engaged in this
his health failed and he
went to jamaica for his health.
While there he suffered a stroke of
from which he never fully
It was at this time that
he appointed Wilbur Glenn voiiva.
MS first lieutenant and general over
seer of the church voliva by the
,ower OF attorney vested in him by
Dowie. had all the property belong
ng to the church, transferred from
Dowie to Overseer Granger. charging
and gross mismanage.
nent by Dowfe. He also called
meeting Of all Zionists and denounc-
I'd Dowie. With the exception Of
ess than 200 Of Dowie's former fol.
overs. all the Inhabitants OF the city
those voliva az their future leader
md sent word to Dowie that he had
been disposed. Dowie Immediately
and took the controversy to
he courts for settlement
Complete Sketch Of Life
John Alexander Dowie was born In
sixty years ago. He spen.
several years attending theological
In his native city and then
went to Sydney, New South Wales.