Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1901 — A Dowie Victim in Pulaski County. [ARTICLE]

A Dowie Victim in Pulaski County.

Winamac Democrat. The death of Oliver Clinger, whose serious condition we have mentioned several times, occurred Saturday forenoon, at their home Oast of town on the Keppler farm. He had been ailing several months, from consumption, we are told, though he thought it was a stomach trouble. Lately he bad no physician. A few weeks ago, when very weak, he went to Chicago, and while there, relatives and friends assert, advantage was taken of his enfeebled condition both physically and mentally to cause him to espouse the “ism” of the rankest fraud today outside of hell and the penitentiaries—the alleged ex-convict and hypocritical old duffer (for revenue) “Elijah” Dowie. The poor fellow was as wax in the hands of fanatics to a shameful and damnable fraud, and was lulled into the belief Jthat he was constantly better even as death crept closer and closerjeach day, Dowieites assuring him and others that he was improving and was not going to die “because God had told them so.” Oh, what a miserable, criminal travesty on law and order and real religion! To add to the situation it was decreed from “Lige” Dowie or his lieutenants that the sick man’s hogs must be killed or be could not] get well. It didn’t matter that 01 was a poor man and the killing][of his SSO worth of hogs would] be literal robbery from his two helpless baby girls—the animals must be killed so he could recover. Neighbors declined to kill] them, but their death was finally: brought about. And still 01 died, Deoeased’s age was thirty-eight years and fourteen days, nearly all of which he spent in this county. He was a good quiet hardworking ciiizen, and in health would have soorned the miserable Dowie delusion that fooled him until his breath ceased.