Dowie Got Afraid

1901

Despite His Reincarnation He Summoned His Host

SUSPECTED A PLOT TO KIDNAP HIM

The Modern Elijah Declared That Physicians Would Spirit Him Away and Beat Him Until He Becomes Insane — Doesn't Like Being Called a Paranoiac

Chicago, June 17 — There is a new agitation in Dowie's Zion. During his meeting at the tabernacle, Dr. Dowie, overseer, claimed that certain physicians of this city had formed a plot to kidnap him, lock him in a detention hospital and beat him on the head and back till he should lose all his reasoning powers and become really insane. He said that the kidnaping might take place after his service and called a special private meeting of the male members of Zion to take steps to help the Zion guard in protecting him. He also made threats against the physicians, saying what he would do them, as he thought they were trying to do him, unless they let him alone and stop calling him a paranoiac. With all this Dowie repeated continually his pretensions to be Elijah reincarnated, making way for the end of the world, and he incidentally laid claim to immortality until his work is accomplished.

"I have special information," shouted the general overseer to his followers, "that a law has just been juggled with special reference to me. Those doctors have fixed it so that an insanity complaint does not have to come from a relative now, but may come from any man who says he acts in public interest. Do you know what this means? It comes from the same men who are calling me a paranoiac. It means they are going to kidnap me. They will try to get me some night. They will carry me to a hospital and bind me hand and foot. Then they will beat me and torture me till they make me insane. That's what they will do, the fiends, the scoundrels! I say to Zion, 'On guard!' I want every member of Zion and every male member especially to remain after this service and plan with me how to protect ourselves from these scoundrels and thieves. The emergency is great."

—Piqua Daily Call, Piqua, OH, June 17, 1901, p. 2.