Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-08-05
ANECDOTES Of DOV|[
The "Reincarnated Prophet Eli
ijah" Always an Erratic and
Peculiar Individual
coBBLER IN EARLY LIFE

Drove Fe9s for EACH ot eho NPosseo'
How He Came to Amerioa-Was a
Street Exhorter and Faith Healer at
First-His Fierce Denunciations.
John Alexander Dowie's recent death
has recalled many stories Of the man
who claimed to be reincarnation Of
the prophet Elijah and whose ups and
downs in the celebrated Zion City ex-
pertinent attracted SO much attention
not long ago.
DR.. Dowie was a Scotchman. who
lived many years in Australia. He was
for years an ordinary minister of the
gospel, but finally. becoming possessed
of the notion that he was the ancient
prophet again in human flesh, or at any
rate proclaiming his belief to that eff
feet, he organized the new Zion. :
which Is a matter of recent religious
history
A reporter who was present thus de-
scribed Dowic's first announcement to
his people that he was the prophet:
John Alexander Dowie. founder Of
the Christian Catholic Church In Zion,
announced before an audience of
5000 persons in the Chicago Audito-
rum last Sunday lin June. 1000 that
God had sent him to earth as the mes
senger of the covenant and would
make him the reincarnation of the
Prophet Elijah.
Whirling upon his choir Of 900 men
and women and then back to the seat
ed and standing thousands before him,
with his arms flying and his long gown
sweeping about him. Dowie screamed:
"Am right? Do tell the truth!"
And fully 5000 Of the more than
5000 men and women around him.
flashlike, in answering chorus cried:
"Yesw
Some time later. when Dowie and
the Dowieites made their famous cru-
SADIE visit to New York for the avowed
purpose Of converting the metropolis.
the leader addressed Madison Square
Garden audience three times as large
as the one Just mentioned. Only the
Zion hosts stood by the gowned and
bearded little man upon the platform.
The New York contingent would have
none of him.
do you believe that I am Elijah?"
Dowie cried, his arms extended, his
head lifted, his eyes staring ceiling
ward.
"Yes!" came cry from the Zionites.
"No"! came tremendous protest
from the 10000 New Workers in the
crowd. mo, no, no." they yelled.
Dowie fell back. His eyes were
alight with anger. But he drew him
self together and said slowly in bro
ken voice:
"Let us pray"
AS showing Dr. Dowie's style when
he was denouncing persons or personal
habits that were abhorrent to him q
passage of his discourse at this same
New York meeting may be quoted:
ooh, you smokers Of filthy nicotine
the Sinking, deadly stuff! And you
that smoke 1t are no better yourselves
than stinkpots. You are stinkpots! Oh,
I'll spank you. You're dirty dogs! I'll
take that back You are not as good as
dogs. You couldn't get a dog to smoke
or chew the filthy stuff. You are dirty
beasts. Now. there. you've got it. You
smoke and puff. puff and spit"-here
Dowie broke of in his discourse to
expectorate from one end Of the stage
to the othrr.
A whiriwind Of kissing came then.
"Oh," said Elijah, "well, maybe you
can be Christians. But how can you
be, spending S2,00o,0oo0oo year for
drink and 1bbacco that ought to be
brought to the holy temple Of GodT"
Captain James r. Mullett, in whose
ship Dowie came from Australia to
America. says that the new Elijah
was a shoemaker In Australia and q
good one. He had little cobbling shop
in the city of Adelaide. Captain Null
lett says:
MANY time / have watched him
as he Sat on his bench and drove pegs
into soles of shoes. With every blow
Of the hammer as it drove the peg
home he would say. That IS for St.
Paul. That is for st. Peter Every
peg represented oneS Of the apostles.
When he would drive the last one with
resounding thump he would look up,
his face transformed with all the emo
lions Of tho fanatic, and devoutly ex-
claim, And that one is for Jesus
Christ"
Captain Mullet says that on the voy-
age over DR.. Dowie threatened to call
down the wrath Of God and sink the
ship unless the captain would aid him
when they reached San Francisco. He
had given his cratic passenger free
passage. Dowie had no money at all.
The captain introduced him In San
Francisco, and he set up as a faith
healer and street lecturer.
Dowie soon had large following.
This led finally to his establishment
Of Zion City, near Chicago, and to bis
world wide reputation as business
man in the ministry" as he termed
himself. At one time his holdings in
the Zion, City properties were estimat-
ed at $2O.0OO00O. The overthrow OF
DR.. Dowie by his lieutenant, Voliva, Is
fresh in the public memory.
All Are United
in saying that for all Stomach, Liver
or Kidney diseases, there is no remedy
like Electric Bitters so cts. Guaran-