Zion City Troubles.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 18, 22 January 1904, Page 4

Zion City Troubles.

DR. DOWIE FALLS OX EVIL DAYS. The appointment of two receivers in bankruptcy for Howie's property in Ziion City, on the petition of three creditors of the " Prophet," was indicated on December 2 by the closing of his bank by the receivers and the stationing of a guard of United States Marshals and " Ziion Guards" as Howie calls the local police, outside the building. As previously stated, the amount for which Dowie is being sued is £12,000, hut it is estimated that in addition to this lie owes at least £60,000. Instead of Dowie, the federal custodian, Mr Reieski is technically the head of the Zion City industries, whieh employ nearly 'our thousand persons. Dowie's supporters are said to have raised £SOOO, and promised a much langer sum from the sale of securities. Dowie brazenly asserted 'his solvency. He issued the following statement : '• This is not law ; it is a midnight raiding party. Ziion has plenty of money. I never mortgaged one building or manufacturing plant in Zion. If you offered me live million pounds for Ziion I would not sell. 1 hold outside of Ziion securities worth £400,000. and the debts of Zion ana between one-fifteenth and one-twen-tieth of its total value. " We paid off a number of claims yesterday, and we will pay them all. We are suifciing temporarily from our unprecedented grdwlh. Not a house in 'Ziion is unoccupied. Evaryonc is working, and every workman was paid up to last week. " As to my carrying away money, that is absurd. My wife and son, who are now on a tour round the world, 'ftavo return tickets, and they took with them only enough money to pay their travelling expenses for the first year. I am going to start round the world, and will return on June 30. These troubles will not. affect Ziion." DOWIE'S BUSINESS WAYS. John Alexander Dowie, prophet and man of business, 'has among his most notable achievements the astoun lingly rapid establishment of Ziion City, with its thousands of Dowieites subservient spiritually and financially to the man they are taught the regard as the reincarnated Elijah. The ascendancy which Dowie exercises over his iolfcnvcrs is that of'an absolute monarch, with the combined attributes of money-lender and spiritual adviser. The business man predominates. In 1900 Dowie, with a following said to number 50.000, bought fiflOO acres of land on the share of Lake Michigan. Within two years there was a community of 6000 on the land, which had been called " Zion City." Dowie sold none of the plots in Zion City ; he leased lots until 3000 A.1)., lit a rental equal to the seHjng price. He retains the title to the property, airtd on the slightest infringement of his rules of conduct an occupier may, by the terms of his lease, bo turned out and expelled from the city. There is a general store, from which one may buy anything from beef to books. After the ignominious failure of the invasion of New York by Dowio and •1000 of his followers, Mrs Dowie and Dr. Gladstone Dowie, their son, left for England. I't was rumoured that they were •t-akhi'g with them all thd available, assets of City and the treasure u'ltst. When they arrived at Liverpool, Mrs Howie indignantly denied the suggestion Nevertheless, there waß much curiosity as to the contents of a heavy Saratoga trunk and a porter's strong-box, which were included in their lugjyage. They stated that they were on their way to Australia to visit their relatives, and tihat they would he joined later by Dr. Dowie. Mrs Dowie and her son arrived at Fremaiitle last week.