ZION CITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81851, 26 September 1906, Page 4

ZION CITY.

DECISION OF THE COURT. Neither John Alexander Dowie, founder, nor Wilbur Glenn Voliva, present general overseer, is given th< property, estimated to be \v< rtli between 12,000,000 and 21,000,000 dollars in the decisii n handed down to day (says a Chicago message of July 27 in the San Francisco "Chronicle") by Judge J. M. Landis. of the United States Circuit Court, in the Zion City case. Instead, Judge Landis declared Zion City a trust estate, named John G. Hately, member of the Chicago Board of Trade, a receiver of the property, and ordered the holding of an election on September 18. when the people of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church in Zion City shall choose their overseer. Judge Landis will decide later what compensation Dowie will be allowed for his past services. The substance of the Court's decision is in the ruling that contribution of property and money given Dowie was in trust. Judge Landis declared the conveyance of the Zion City property by Voliva under power of attorney to John Grainger be void.

Receiver Hately's bond of 25.000 dollars was approved late in the afternoon by the Court, and he went immediately to Zion City and assumed charge of the property. The Court traced Dowie's Church career, beginning in Australia, down to his work in Zion City, and found that Dowie had for many years been in receipt of a large revenue, which he devoted to church and charity purposes ; that the amounts received by him aggregated in some years 250,000 dollars; that Dowie had not sought to amass a private fortune, but that he engaged in secular occupation in aid of the propagation of his religious doctrine, as Dowie expressed it, "For God and humanity." A later message of July 30 savs : Twelve months ago the thriving population of Zion City was pouring thousands upon thousands of dollars into the coffers of John Alexander Dowie. Today John G. Hately, the receiver appointed by the Government, issued an appeal for a relief fund to stay the hunger of Dowie's old followers. Where a community of 5500 tilhe-paying people dwelt in prosperity a year ago, there are now scant 3000 people, menaced by want. They are unemployed, their land is valueless, and their children are U n derfed and half clothed. This is the story of the downfall of the citv that was _ bui't on self-made and selfadministered religion bv " Dr." Dowie, the "healer."