Fulfilment of a Grand Prophecy - Hazrat Ahmad’s Challenge to John Alexander Dowie — Page 67
Fulfillment of a Grand Prophecy. NEW YORK TIMES, Saturday, October 24, 1903 99 "Dowie Leaves City and May Not Return'. Guarded Movements Before Taking Train for Boston. Report That He May Be Going to Australia with His Wife and Son-Restoration Host Disintegrating "Guarding his movements with all possible secrecy, John Alexander Dowie, 'Elijah the. Restorer,' slipped away from New York last night for Boston, carrying all his family and baggage with him in his private car. He absolutely declined to indicate in any way when he will return to the city, and the information obtained last night was that he intends to sail with his family to Australia. . It was impossible to ascertain last night whether any provision had been made for the members of the Zion Restoration Host now at Madison Square. Garden, either for their return to Zion City or for their maintenance while here. . Accompanied by his wife and their un-kissed son, Dowie left the Fifth Avenue Hotel secretly by the Twenty-fourth Street entrance at 11:30 o'clock, entering his brougham, the curtains of which were carefully pulled down. They were rapidly driven up Fifth Avenue to Twenty-ninth. Street, then east, then back to Madison Avenue, then south, and generally circulated around the district between the hotel and the Grand Central. Station with the evident intention of throwing off any who attempted to follow the carriage. Finally the brougham arrived at the station, where some two hundred pieces of baggage had preceded them. . Dowie and his family hurried into the station and made for the private car Iolanthe, which was in the yard. Thirteen of the leaders of the Dowie church were on hand, and got into the car to bid goodbye to the 'Prophet' and his family. Six others of the faithful were in the station, but were not permitted in the train yard and were swept aside by railroad attendants as they tried to get in. . Before Dowie could board his car he was approached by a reporter who had followed his carriage in a cab. He seemed intensely provoked at being questioned. 71 'When are you going to return to New York?' he was asked. 'Peace be to thee,' was his only reply. 'Yes, I understand that, but when are you coming back?' was urged. 'Get out of the road,' yelled the un-kissed son, as he hurried his father 'Elijah' into the car, quickly following with Mrs. Dowie. The apostles bade farewell to the party and as soon as Dowie and his family were in the car the curtains were pulled down, and every attempt made to prevent disturbance or interference. There was no demonstration of any sort about the station and the only persons gathered, outside of the few members of the host, were travelers who were waiting for trains and who shoed a lively interest in the affair. . At midnight the car was hauled out of the station on the midnight train for Boston. . The disintegration of the Zion Restoration. Host began yesterday with the departure of a special train of seven cars carrying 340 Zionites back to their homes in Zion City. Although it is absolutely certain that this number took its departure, Dowie announced vehemently last night that only 125 of his followers were scheduled to go home on the train; and that only 112 actually started. Dowie announced that the places of those who left yesterday would be taken by fresh. Zionites who were coming here on a special train. . The audience at last night's meeting of the. Zionites was far smaller than on any previous evening. The 'Prophet' announced as a special feature that 'some time during the week' he would devote an hour to excoriating the press. About he only thing of interest said by 'Elijah' was that the second coming of Christ was at hand, and that a temporal rule would be set up in the world. . Then Mrs. Dowie took the platform and was 1