The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-30
THE CHICAGO SUICIDE.
HsetSS HSsh the History Of Her Life,


HoTIMAN HousH, NBw YoHK, December 29,-
To the Editor OF the WorId-Sr:-l notice In
your issue OF this date statement that Mrs.
Augustus Dickens, who committed suicide In
Chicago on Christmas Eve, was not the widow
OF the deceased brother OF Charles Dickens, bat
that the real Mrs. Augustus Dickens is living IN
london, and Is supported by her hrother;in,law,
the eminent novelist. There are, l believe,
Eustus Dickens living in Chicago, who
now, in addition to their other mistortunes,
are deprived Of the loving care OF their
mother, This circumstance deferred me from
telling what knew, when my eye fell epon the
telegram announcing the death of Mrs. Dickens.
Since the essential iacts in the caae nave
become public without any agency OF NINE,
shall attempt 10 do justice to the living, without
osrespect TO the dead, by giving you so much OF
the history OF this case as mas been communicated
to me.
Mr. Augustus Dickens was a brilliant scape
grace, who abandoned his owu wife IN England
and ran away TO America with MISS BertnR
Phillips, the daughter of an tnsuf anCe agent ln
Londou-a young lady OF many attractions ana
accomplishM ents. ! have heard that after
arriving at an interior town IN limos, ana
having resided there sufficient length OF time,
he procured divorce from his wife, and mar
ried Miss Phillips, but of this ! have no per-
BOnal knowledge. II is certain that sue was
thencefor ward treated by her own parents as
Mrs. Dickens, and that SIZE received a small
beuuest ia her fathers viii AS Mrs. Bertha
Philhps 0ickeus." Nevertheless, tue former
Mrs Dickens lived, and stll lives, in London.
Sne is new afflicted with blndaess, aud Is
supported oy Charles Dickens.
When Nc, Dickens visited this country last
year, and received lalge sum OF money from
his readings, portion OF which he bestowed in
charity upon strangers, The press OF Chicago,
including the journal with which am con-
neCted, commence ed uDon The fact that he had
done nothing Tor those who had the most OBJ
Vious claims upon him, and OF whose necessities
he could not be ignorant. The Eastern press
attributed these remarks to spite because Mr.:
Dickens had not included Chicago in the lst
OF oities In which he was to give his readings.
/ anu sure there was no such feeling al
this eVinced at any time-certalnly not in my
own case. There was, however, an important
misapprehe ension of facts. tits easy now to see
why Mr.. Dickens could not visit Chicago. II he
had done so he must either recognize Mrs.
Bertha Phillips Dickens, TO the injury OF the
other Mrs. Dickens, or by his refusal to do so
expose her to contumely. 1t Is easy to see also
why he con .ributed nothing to her support. A
plmmering OF the truth was given to the pubic
In the London correspondence OF the Boston
Daily Advertiser, but without the Knowledge or
privity Of Mr.. Dickens.
These facts Came to my knowledge through
the Kindness of a literary friend IN London,
few DAYS before Mr. Dickens departure from
this country Much as l desired to repair the
injury that had been done him, it was clearly
impossible 10 do so without infictng the greatest
harm upon Mrs. Dickens. | understand that
Charles Dl,k is has always been soIicltous that
the lady in question should receive no other
injury from his family than she had already re-
ceived; that he wished her well; and that he
was willing 10 do, or foroear dong, anything
not inconsistent with his duties TO The more
afflicted woman whom his brother Augustus had
left in England.
II only remains to add that Mrs. Bertha
Philios Dickens (whOm | never saw bore an
unblemished reputation at Chicago. Upon the
decease other husband, she was left destitute,
with three infant children to support and edu-
cate. She was faithful to those whom God COM
mitted TO her care. Her noble struggle with
poverty was alleyia ed in great degree by the
kind hearted gentlemen of the land depart
ment of the Illinois Central Railway, of which
Mr.. Augustus Dickens had been an empioye;
and 1t is safe 10 assume that her dear children
will not come to want. IL appears TO me that
Mrs. Dickens died OF a broken heart and thst
no contributions Of money from Charles Dickens
or the people of Chicago could have healed her
wound. l am, sir, very respectfully. your
sbedient servant, HORACE WHITE.
Editor Of the Chicago Tribune.
Was it a Suicide?
The Chicago Tribune says:-It would seem
that she took too much of the narcotic by mis-
take. 1t is not generally believed that she
committed suicide as she had made every pre-
paration for Christmas dinner; the turkey was
in the sdeboaTd ready for roasting the chill
dren's candy, and the ralsins and other ingre-
dients for plum-pudding, we're in the house. She
also expected her children home, and in the
note TO Mrs. Lawrence enjoyed by anticipation
the family gathering around the Christmas
board. It true that small pecuniary loss
Incurred on Wednesday preyed upon her mind,
and may have produced melancholy. The fol-
lowing letter explains the matter:-
No 6e8 North CLARK street. Dec. q 1865. Gentle
men-During a necessary visit TO the City yes erday
was unfortunately relieved OF my purse (either In
Bome crowded store carr which Contained q cer'
tcate of deposit your bank for $40 0(
therefore promptly caution yon not 10 pay 70 any
other person than myself the same or any smaller
amount unless applied for in person oy your much
obliged RHRrHA p. DICK en-
10 the President of the Third National Bank. chi.
cRgo.
This letter shows that she was not in pecunt-
AIRY distress, and that she contemplated calling
at the bank "in person. Besides the certii-
Gates OF deposit, there was only small amount
of currency in her pocket book. She was at
Mrs. Barnard's at s o'clock on Christmas Eve,
and was seen again by one of the family at 8
O'Clock. She made call on Mrs. Pease one of
her acquaintances, the same evening. All these
persons state that she was in good spirits,
cheerful and bright. On the other hand, it is
known that for some time back she has been
reading work on morphine, which goes 40
show either that her mind was running on the
subject OF poisons, or that, as she used morphine
80 much, she wished to acquaint herself with
its properties and effects.
Coroner Cleaves held an inquest on Christmas
night when Mrs. Barnard and the physicians
were examined. The investigation re-
suited in verdict that deceased came to her
death by an overdose of NOR phine, administered
by herself while in a state of mental aberratiop.
The mental alteration was presumed, because
she had been studying the work on morphine,
which may or may not be violent presump-
Aim.