Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 100, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 September 1909 — VOLIVA, ZION LEADER, LANGUISHES IN JAIL. [ARTICLE]

VOLIVA, ZION LEADER, LANGUISHES IN JAIL.

Bowie’s Successor Falls To Pay Libel Judgment and Is Sentenced For Six Months. I Wilbur Glenn Voliva, whose brother was at ‘one time a Baptist pastor in this city, and who succeeded to the leadership of Zion City shortly before the death of Alexander Dowie, is nowconfined in the McHenry county, 111., jail, at Woodstock, where he will have to remain for six months unless a judgment for SIO,OOO in favor of Philip Motherill is paid. Motherill was formerly a resident of Zion City, but opposed Voliva, who slandered Motherill in a public address made to the Zion City congregation. Suit was brought by Motherill for damages and he was given a judgment for $14,000, and Voliva was granted a new trial and a change of venue from Lake to McHenry county. Here a judgment of $20,000 was given, but the court subsequently reduced the judgment to SIO,OOO. Voliva claims that he is a martyr to his religion and says that he will serve the entire six months in jail. After the judgment was rendered Voliva listed his personal property as consisting of “one writing desk, wearing apparel, one set of religious books and 83 cents in cash.” Motherill will "have to pay Voliva’s board while he is in jail and he will have first-class meals. He will occupy the same cell that Eugene V. Debs occupied for violation of the injunction during the big A. R. U. strike in Chicago in 1894. An alleged horse thief and an alleged keeper of a dive will be his jail companions. Voliva has been embroiled in many difficulties in Zion City since his leadership and the city founded by Dowie is crumbling away, and the great industries started are practically all wrecked. Voliva seems to have been a good man himself, but unable to pacify the many factional and fanatical people with whom he had to deal, while the discovery of Dowie’s wicked life disgusted many of the former faithful Toirbwers; 7“