Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-01-16
Cuucaeo. January A. 1869.

CmcAeo, January 4, 1869.
EDIToR TELEGRAPH: send you to-day an
article from one of our dailies, which sets at
rest a question we oil have discussed for the
reason that "authorities' have differed, and
each one has deemed his own reliable.
Even those who have been loudest in their
blame, must now admire the nobility Of soul
which kept silent the "Great Novelist" lie
would not inflict needless pain upon the
/ living, nor would he desecrate the memory OF
| his brother, evon to shield himself from CEN
sure so undeservcd Will men ever learn that
the All-seeing One alone is righteous judgep
NJ. c. W. s.
Mrs. AUGUSTUS DIcKENs-Mr. HORACE
WHITE, the editor of the Chicago Tribune,
addressed a note on the 27th ult. to the New
York World in which he corrects the statems snt
of that journal that Mrs. Augustus Dickens,
who committed suicide in Chicago on Christ
mas Eve, was not tho widow of the deceased
brother of Charles Dickens, but that the real
Mrs. Augustus Dickens is living in London,
and is supported by her brother-in-law, the
eminent novelist. Mr.. WHITE says:
There are, believe, three little chill
drcn of the late augustus Dickens living
in Chicago, who now, in addition to
their other nisforturcs, are deprived Of
the loving care of their mother This
circumstance dsterred me from telling
what l knew, when my eye fell OIL the
telegram announcing the death of Mrs.
Dickens. Since the essential facts in the
case have been before the public without
any agency of mine, | shall attempt TO
do justice to the living without disre-
spect TO the dead, by giving you so much
of the history of the ease as has been
communicated to me.
Mr.. Augustus Dickens was a brilliant
scapegrace, who abandoned his own wife
i'll England and ran away to America
with Miss Bertha Phillips, the daughter
of an insurance agOnt i'll Iondon--a
young lady of many attractions and
omplishments. / have heard that
after arriving at an interior town in ILL
nois, and, having resided there sufli-
cient length of time, he procured di-
vorco from his wife and married Miss
Phillips, but of this / have no personal
knowledge. 1t is certain that she was
thenccforward treated by her cwn par
ents as Mrs. Dickens, and that she re-
ceived small Eequest in her fathers
will as "Mrs Eertha Phillips Dickens"
Nevertheless, the fcrmcr Mrs Dickens
lived, and still lives, in London. She Is
now afflicted with blindness, aud is sup
orted by Charles Dickens.
When Mr.. Dickens visited this country
last year, and received large sum of
money from his readings, q portion of
which bo bestowed in charity upon
strangers, the press of Chicago, includ-
Jag the journal with which | am con.
nected, commented upon the fact that he
had done nothing for those who had the
most obvious claims upon him, and of
whose necessities he could not be igno-
rant. 1t is easy now to sec why Mr..
Dickens could not visit Chicago. If he
had done so he must either recognize Mrs.
Bertha Phillips Dickens, to the injury of
the other Mrs. Dickens, Oh by his refusal
to do so expose her to contumely 1t is
easy to see, also, why he contributed
nothing to her support.
These facts came to my knowledge
through tho kindness of literary friend
in London, a few days before Mr.. Dick
ems departure from, this country. Much
as desired TO repair the injury that had
been done him, it was clearly impossible
to do SO without ntlictng the greatest
harm upon Mrs. Dickens. i understand
that Charles Dickens has always been
solicitous that the lady in question should
receive no other injury from his family
than she had already received; that he
wished her well; and that he was willing
to do, or to torbear doing, any thing not
inconsistent with his duties TO tire more
afflicted woman whom his brother Au.
gustus had left in England.
1t only remains to add that Mrs. Ber-
tina Phillips Dickens bore an unblemishcd
reputation at Chicago. Upon the do
cease of her husband she was left dcsti-
tute, with three infant children to sup
port and educate. She Vas faithful to
those whom God committed to her care.
Her noble struggle with poverty was
alleviated in great degree by the kind
hearted gentlemen of the Land Depart
ment of the Illinois Central Railroad, of
which Mr.. Augustus Dickens had been
an employee; aud it is safe to assume
that her children will not come to want.
So MUCH has been written and said
about Mr.. Rovcrly johnson, that the
subject has begun to pail upon the public
taste, and il is dangerous to allude, ed
itorially, to our unhappy minister. OF
the two classes in England, those to
whom Mr.. Johnson has given the most
satisfaction, belong to tho one whom
tho American people care very Iarle
about pleasing. The class in England
thatE have the least confidence in Mr..
Johnson arc those who understand sur
national character best, and who sympa,
thiscd with us during the late war;
They are not only convinced of, but are
to n certain extent, willing to acknowl-
edge the justice of the claims we hold
against England. AS Englishmen, they
naturally desire such termination of