Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-09-15
The End of the Dowie Cult.

been sent to Jail, in Chicago, asserting
that his worldly possessions amount to
but SO cents, it would look as if the so
called religion founded by John Al
exander Dowie ha6 finally and irrevok-
ably persisted. Voliva was the success
sor of Dowie but his inheritance was
one of husks. The bubble had burst.
Dowio was discredited even by his
own followers in the closing days of
his life, and the influence he had once
| welded had practically PASSED away.
| His last hours were embittered by the
deSertion of a large part of his former
| flock who had ceased to look upon him
as the source of their inspiration, and
their heaven appointed guide in all
| things spiritual. The career of Dowie
was a picturesque one. He exercised a
potent influence upon those who yield
ed to the force of his personality, and
acknowledged his sway. He was
however, man of infinite self-confelt,
and, puffed up with the successes he
had achieved in Chicago he gathered
about him several hundred of his chos-
en- apostles and journeyed East upon a
special train with the avowed purpose
of "regenerating'' New York. The
venture was an unfortunate one for
him, and forcefuly illustrated the fact
that ridcule is one of the most for
midable weapons that can be employed
in the life of our republic. New York
was ready for Dowie and his hosts. 1t
greeted them with merry ha, ha
The whole city wore a tolerant grin
1t regarded the hosts of Zion" as a
huge joke--which indeed they were
and treated them as such. They speed
lily found themselves in the vaudeville
class. The mask was stripped from
Dowie and he was speedily shown up
ranting old fakir He felt keenly the hu-
initiation of his failure. His apostles
were disguised with him. For the first
time they began to suspect that he
might not after all be so great man
as he claimed to be- 1t was very evil
dent that the Devil was very much
abroad in Gotham in spite of all his
efforts to exercise him. They followed
their discredited leader back to Zion
City with many murmurings of discon-
tent Meanwhile the nowieites who
had remained at nome to prepare a
suitable welcome for their leader when
he returned home after having accom-
plished the redemption" Of New York,
of his failure How had the mighty
falleri Their faith was shattered.
They looked once more upon their for
mer idol and 10! his feet were clay.
The toboggan was creased for Pro-
phet Dowie from that hour He was
not long in reaching the bottom of it,
where he fingered, in an agony of out
ragged vanity, until death kindly came
to his relief
Dowie started out as healer. He
denounced most everything he could
think Of The doctors, the newspapers,
the Christian religion The more vio-
lent were his harangues the larger be-
came his audiences. Soon the big au-
ditorum IN Chicago was inadequate to
hold them. His followers increased
until they numbered nearly 100000. He
founded a model city which he named
Zion City and of which he was the
presiding genius. He had the personal
administration of assets amounting to
more than $15,OO0,OOO His star was ap-
parantly in the ascendant. His sue
cess however could not Withstand the
keen thrust of ridicule. When that
was applied the gas went out of his bal
loon and it fell to then earth with "a
dull sickening thud." Valiva succeed
ed hinl-but there was practically
nothing to succeed to, and today Dow
ieism has hacome merely a rcminis-
CONGO