Dowie Swears If He Had His Rights

Illinois, 1906

Then He Would Not Be a Bankrupt as His Enemies Allege

Chicago, May 16. — Attorneys for Dowie today filed an answer in the federal court in the receivership proceedings brought against Dowie some time ago. In his answer Dowie denied that he is insolvent, if all his property was restored to him.

Judge Landis, before whom the arguments were made, entered an order directing the attorneys to leave the matter alone, saying he would settle it himself.

Riots broke out again in Zion City yesterday, following disorder which attended Dowie's effort to address his followers in Shiloh Tabernacle Sunday. Crowds numbering hundreds gathered on Shiloh boulevard, near the general store in the afternoon, and engaged in a furious argument over the respective merits of their leaders, and the questions at issue in the struggle of "Doctor" Dowie and Overseer Veliva for supremacy.

One Dowieite was handled roughly by the mob and serious consequences were only averted by the arrival of the Zion police in answer to a riot call.

James Slater, a negro adherent of the "First Apostle," was escorted to safety by the officers, after being mobbed for his sturdy defense of Dowie. The crowd assembled again after the departure of the police, and another riot call was sent in, which brought out all the reserves of the station, led by Police Captain Walker himself. The mob was forced off the street corners and ordered to disperse.

FEAR FURTHER TROUBLE

The police are apprehensive of further trouble and have called in all their patrolmen from outlying points for possible emergency duty. Slater is said to have started the trouble by exploiting the virtues of Dowie to a crowd near the general store. He was interrupted by loud cries of:

"Dowie has all of my money."

"Dowie is a robber."

"Why doesn't he pay his debts?"

The negro became frightened and ran. He was overtaken by the mob and in turn rescued by the police,

DOWIE CHARGES CONTEMPT

Dowie took personal charge of seeking punishment of persons who caused disorder at his meeting Sunday. He instructed his attorney, Emil C. Witten, to draw Judge Wright's attention to the fact that the terms of the court order issued at the first hearing of the injunction proceedings against Veliva, to the effect that the "First Apostle's" meetings should not he interfered with had been grossly violated. He also ordered his counsellors to announce that all negotiations for the appointment of a triumvirate were off, and that the court proceedings should proceed.

—The Daily Review, Decatur, IL, May 15, 1906, p. 1.