The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1869-01-05
TIE GATE CITY,
-. ss.ry = In. A-s.se.s vae.s.e

The story - 4Fs. Aug1ssus 1ashAne
Mr.. Horace White addresses tho iellovinl
letter to > morning papsr
81 notice in rour issue al this date stats'
ment that Mrs Augustus Dickens, VINO
committed suicide IN Chicago on Christna,
/ eve. was not the widow Of the deceased
| brother Of Charles Dickens, but th1e The
! real Mr.. Augustus Dickep1 = kvtnt n Lon
dor. and 4 supported ~ her brothsr.in- hu
Tho eminent novelist. There are, believe,
three little children sufshs late Augustus
! p . ems living IN Ch'fAyo, who now in ad-
| d,,lon to their other misfoEtunes, ase de-
| prived Of thstender and loving caro- Of theiE
mother This circumstance deferred ne
| from telling what knew, when my eye fell
| upon the telegram announcing the death OF
| Mrs. Dickens Since the essential facts in
the case have become public without an
agency Of mine. l shall attempt to do JUS
tice to the living without disrespcct TO the
| dead, by giving you 90 much Of the history
of this place as has been communicated to
me.
"Mr. Augustus Dickens was brillian,
ecapeerace, who abandoned his own wife in
England and ran away to Amsric. With Miss
Bertha Phillips, the daughter Of an insurance
agent 10 London young lady Of many ct.
fractions and Accomplishments. have
heard that after arriving TO IN interior town
in Illinois, and having resided there sum-
cir Mt length Of time, be- procnred divorce
FRI N his wife and married Miss Phillips but
Of this have no personal knowledge. It is
certain that she was thenceforth treated by
her own parents a. Mrs. Dickens, and that
she received small bequest in her fathers
will Is Mrs. Bertha Phillips Dickens
Nevertheless the former Mrs. Dickens lived
and still lives in London. She il now afilict-
ed with blindness, aad is supported bv Chas
Dickens.
ssWhen Mr.. Dickens visited this country
last year, and received large sam Of money
from his readings, portion Of which he
bestowed in charity upon strangers, the press
Of Chicago including the journal uith which
am connected, commented upon the TACT that
he had done nothing for those who had the
most obvious 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 list Of cities in which he was
to give his readings. | am sure there was no
feeling Is this evoked At any time-certainly
not in my own case. There was however,
an important Misrepresentation of facts. Il
is easy now to see why Mr.. Dickens could
not visit Chicago. If be had done 90 he most
either recognize Mrs Bertha Phillips Dick. |
ems, to the injury Of the other Mrs. Dickens
or BY refusing to do 80 expose her to con.
tumely. II is easy to SEQ also Why he con-
tributed nothing to her support. A glimmsr.
ing of the truth was given to the London |
of The Boston Daily .Adrer-
iser, but without the knowledge or prisity Of
VI. Dickens.
'Tbe.e facts came to my knowledge
through the kindness Of literary friend In
london, few days before Mr.. Dickens de-
o repair the injury that had been done him,
nficting the groetsst harm npon Mrs. Dick
MS. | understand that Charles Dickens has
ways been solicitous that the lady in ques-
ion should receive no other injury from his
smily than she had already received that
e wished her we'll, and that he Was willing
. do, or to forbear doing, anything
OF inconsistent with his duties to tho more
hicted woman whom his brother Augustine
I'D left in England.
ut only remains to add that that Mrs.
'ertha Phillips Dickens whom never saw)
ore an unblemished reputation ut Chicago.
Tpon the decease Of her husband she was !
ut destitute, with three infant children 10 /
1pport and educate. She vas fhithful to
lose God had committed to her care. her
oble struggle with poverty was alleviated in
great degree BY the kind-hearted gentle~
zen of the Land Department OF the Illinois '
entral Railway, Of which Mr.. Augustus !
ickens had been N employe, and il u safe
assume that her children will not como to
ant. Il appears to mo that Mrs Dickens
ed Of . broken heart. and that no contri>
ltions Of money from Charles Dickens, or
= ,nnr1. &c ;oor>n nnrid Ia hoa1ad har