Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-10
Judge Barnes and Two Faithful Attendant
Were with Him.
WIFE AND SON ARE IN MICHIGAN
Estrangcd frsm His Family sinOs Retun
from Mexico.
HISTORY or HIS REMARKABLE CAREER
He Came to United states in 1888 and
Started Movement in Omaha,
Going from Here to
Chicago.

CHICAGO, March e.-Jonn Alexander
Dowie died at 7:4O this morning at Shiloh
house, Zion City. There were present with
MIN when he died only Judge ID. N. Barnes
and two personal attendants. It had been
mis- custom all summer to hold religious
services every Sunday afternoon in the
parlor of Shiloh house. About $50 of his
original followers remained faithful and
attended these services Dowie always
wore his apostolic robes and made a char
acteristic address. A few weeks ago these
| meetings ceased and Dowie appeared no
longer In public. The Sunday meetings,
however were still held by his adherents.
! Since that time Dowie had been gradually
! railing Friday afternoon there were in
dications OF approaching death. He re-
ceived few followers and prayed for
some people. His condition seemed to be
| about the same as for the last two or
! three weeks. One OF the attendants re-
mained with him until midnight and was
| relieved by the other attendant. Shortly
| before 1 o'clock this morning Dowie be-
| came delirious and his talk WAS the same
as at a religious meeting in the days Of
his prime He denounced people with the
old-tme vigor and instructed the guards
TO throw out disturbers and acted just as
he had on many previous occasions.
! Family Is Estranged.
He gradually became weaker and weaker
and the attendant telephoued for Judge
Barnes, who reached Shiloh house at
a. m. Forty minutes later Dowie died.
No arrangements yet have been made
! for the funeral. The death of D0'vie was
unexpected. large number of followers
and others are gathered at Shiloh house to
pay their respects.
Mrs. Dowie. Judge Dowie. the prophets
| father, and his son, who are at Ben
! MacDhu, Mich, have been notified and
are expected at Zion City today. Judge
Barnes, who was at the bedside of Dowie,
is a member of Volivas council, but re-
mained friendly to Dowie, believing him
to be insane and not responsible for his
actions Dowie's wife, father and son held
the same view and 1t is therefore believed,
though they were estranged, that they WIN
attend the funeral
sketch of Career.
John Alexander Dowie was born in Edin-
burgh, Scotland, May 26, 1s47. In 1850 his
parents removed TO Adelaide. Auatralia'
\ where for seven years the youth was clerk
in a business house. Here Dowie devel-
oped the commercial instinct that served
him so we'll later in life. He saved enough
money during this period to return to Edin-
| burRh at the age of 20 TO take five years
! course in theology and the arts. He be-
came master of Greek and Hebrew and
cultivated a literary taste that resulted In
after years in a library of 10000 volumes
with which he was thoroughly familiar.
Six years of denomnational activity wor-
| ried Dowie. who longed for wider held
Of operation. He forsook his church ana IN
1873 went to Melbourne, where he set up
! free Christian tabernacle-the first OF It's
kind-and organized divine healing asso-
ciation. which afterwards became inter-
national IN character He became presl-
dent of the association and gained fame
by going out into the country during the
prevalence of putrid fever and apparently
! affecting many cures by prayer and the
laying on of hands.
After ten years In Melbourne Dowie de-
cided to remove to England where ms asso'
| citation had a number of branches put
the fates took him across the Paeihc and
his announced intention of making Great
Britain world headquarters was never car
ried out.
Arrives in United states.
I,oUie landed In San Francisco in 1855
needing money. He needed 200 ana hao
inst told his wife he had asked GOD tor
IL" He said when man he hAd not
! seen in months came along and put the
snoupt N his hand. That was the starting
| co,rt Ir his wonderful money getting
| career in the western world. Two years
q, wandering along the California coast
followed. and then In 1890 'Dr." Dowie'
! nj. wife his son, Alexander John Gladstone
Dovvie and his daughter Esther, arrived
In Chicago, which was 70 be the theater OF
his great work.
| OurinR the next Ave years Dowie was
arrested at least hundred times for VIOLA
ton of the city ordinances relating TO the
! care Of the sick, but the more trouble tnat
was made for him the more he prospered
in reality. Branch churches were estao-
/ lished in other cities, large hospital Tor
the healing of the sick was built In chi
cago and a college for the training Of
missionaries was organized prinung plant
put in operation and bank was also
started.
The Christian Catholic church in Zion
CITY. the outgrowth of the original interna-
tional divine healing association. was
! formally organized In February, 1896,
Dowie becoming general overseer Four
wears afterwards before a large audience
IN the Auditorium theater, he announced
he was Elijah the Restorer, spoken of In
Malachi This assumption OF a biblecal
personality created even more Of a sensa-
ton among his followers than any Of the
worldly successes Of the prophet"
Plans for "ZiOn."
Previous to this DoHie had marked out
his plans for Zion City, the crowning ef-
fort Of his life. Six thousand acres OF land
were purchased or secured by options, and
in August of 1901 the first building was
erected in Zion City. which year later
had a population Of 10000.
In Zion City, as well as the church,
Dowie was supreme. The title OF the 5000
acres bought with the money OF the sect
rested in him. Lots were leased. not sold.
Running for ss9 years, these leases were
hIled with the following restrictions
The premises shall never be used for q
I slaughter house, saloon or beer garden. to-
bacoo store, opium Joint, theater, gambling
establishment, dance hall circus, pharmacy
drug store. once or residence OF preserib-