The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-01-02

It appears that Mrs. Dickens, whose death
at Chicago has been reported, did not commit
suicide. She had been in the habit Of taking
morphine as remedy fol- neuralgia, and al
though first appearances indicated that the
act was premedltated, it now seems more prob
able that it was accidental. She had Just be-
Tore been robbed of check Tor one hundred
dollars, but had stopped payment of it and
was not liable to loss. She had prepared q
Christmas dinner, and vas expecting company
at her house soon after the morphine must
have been taken. She was not at all in dis
tress, inheriting from her father, who died in
England about year ago, enough to support
her comfortably. Her three children are two
boys and girl, Bertram, twelve; Adrian, eight,
and Amy, six years of age. She was about
thirty-nine years Of age herself, and had been
in this country twelve years. MIR. Horace
White, OF the Chicago Tribune, writes the fol-
lowing letter to the New York World:
notice in your issue of this date state
ment that Mrs. Augustus Dickens, who COM
mitted suicide in Chicago on Christmas eve,
Charles Dickens, but that the real Mrs. Au-
gustus Dickens is living in London, and is
supported by her brother-n-law, the eminent
novelist. There are, I believe, three little
children of the late Augustus Dickens living IN
Chicago, who now, in addition to their other
nisfortunes, are deprived OF the tender and
loving care of their mother. This circum-
stance deferred me from telling what knew,
when my eye fell upon the telegram announc-
ing the death Of Mrs. Dickens. Since the es-
sential facts in the case have become public
without any agency of mine, shall attempt to
do justice to the living without disrespeet to
the dead, by giving you SO much OF the his
tory of this case as has been communicated to
me.
MIR. Augustus Dickens was brilliant scape-
grace, who abandoned his own wife in Eng land
and ran away to America with Miss Bertha
Phillips, the daughter Of an insurance agent
in London young lady of many attractions
and mplishments. I have heard that after
arriving at an interior town in Illinois. and
having resided there sufficient length OF
Time, he procured divorce from his wife and
married Hiss Phillips; but Of this I have no
personal knowledge. n is certain that she
was thenceforward treated by her parents as
Mrs. Dickens, and that she received small
bequest in her fathers will as "Mrs. Bertha
Mrs. Dickens lived and still lives in London.
She is now afflicted with blindness, and is
supported by Charles Dickens.
When Mr.. Dickens visited this country last
gear, and received large sum of money from
his readings, portion OF which ne bestowed
in charity ucon strangers, the press of Chi
cago, including the journal with which l am
connected, commented upon the fact that ne
had done nothing tor those who had the most
obvious claims upon him, and of whose neces
sites he could not be ignorant. The Eastern
press attributed these remarks to spite, be-
cause MIR. Dickens had net included Chicago
in the list Of cities in which he was to give his
readings. am sure there was no such feeling
as this evoked at any time-certainly not in
tant Misrepresentation of facts. It is easy now
to see why MIR. Dickens could not visit Chicago.
II he had done 80 he must either recognize
Mrs. Bertha Phillips Dickens, to the injury OF
the other Mrs. Dickens, or by refusing to do
so expose her to contumsly. It is easy to see
also why he contributed nothing to her sup
port. a glimmering Of the truth was given to
the public 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 literary friend in London,
few days before Mr.. Dickens departure from
this country. Much as desired to repair the
impossible to do 30 without in6icting the
greatest harm upon Mrs. Dickens. under
stand that Charles Dickens has always been
solicitous that the lady IN question should re-
ceiye 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 forbear
doing, anything not inconsistent with his du-
ties to the more afflicted woman whom his
brother Augustus had lett in England.
It only remains to add that Mrs. Bertha
Phillips Dickens (whom never saw bore an
unblemished reputation in Chicago. Upon
the decease of her husband she was left deeti-
tute, with three infant children to support
and educate. She was faithful to those whom
God committed to her care. Her noble strug
gle with poverty was alleviated in q great
degree by tho kindhearted gentlemen OF the
land department Of the Illinois Central R1il-
way, ofwhich Mr.. Augustus Dickens had been
an employee; and it is safe to assume that her
children will not come to want. It appears TO
me that Mrs. Dickens died of broken heart,
and that no contributions of money from
Charles Dickens. or the people OF Chicago,
could have healed her wound.
am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient
servant, HORACE WHITE,
Editor of the Chicago Tribune.
pRnETTS M EREE CnTTOV