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 for 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-
81 ore been robbed OF check for one hundped
dollars, but had stopped payment ofit and
was not liable to loss. She had prepared a
Christmas dinner, and was expecting company
at her house soon after the morphine must
haye 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. MI. Horace
White, OF the Chicago Tribune, writes the fol-
lowing letter to the New York World:
notice in your issue of this date q state
ment that Mrs. Augustus Dickens, who COM
was not the widow Of the deceased brother OF
Charles Dickens, but that the real Mrs. Au-
gustus Dickens is living in London, and is
novelist. There are, I believe, thu three lH little
cnlidren OF the late Augustus Dickens living in
Chicago, who now, in addition to their other
1masIortunes, are deprived of the tender and
stance deferred me from telling what r knew.
when my eye fell upon the telegram ANNOUNCE
ing the death of Mrs. Dickens. Since the es-
sentlal ser Iacts in the case have become public
40 justice to the living without disrespect to
the dead, by giving you so much of the his
tory of this case as has been communicated to
nae. ~
Mr. Aurno+re n;,,o,. , ,.,,.
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 5ondon-a young lady of many attractions
and accomplishments. have heard that after
having resided there sufficient length:of
time, he procured q divorce from his wife and
married Miss Phillips; but of this have no
personal knowledge, II is certain that she
Mrs. Dickens, and that she received a small
bequest in her fathers will as .Mrs. Bertha
RRs RSs2GRH aha h&asvsrshesss the former
supported By Charles Dickens. "~""- I'D 10
When Mr.. Dickens visited this countrv Last
year, and received o large sum of money from
MS readings. portion OF which he bestowed
IN charity upon strangers. the press of CHI
cago. including the journal with which am
connected, commented upon the fact that he
had done nothing for those who had the most
obvious claims upon him, and of whose neces-
Stiles Stiles ne could not + be ignorant The Eastern
cause Mr.. Dickens had not included Chicago
IN the list Of cities in which he was to give his
readings. l am sure there was no such feeling
as this evoked al at any time-certainly not in
tant misapprehension Of facts. It is easy now
to see why Mr.. Dickens could not visit Chicago.
II he had done 80 he must either recognize
NJ Mrs. Bertha Phillips Dickens, to The injury Of
SO expose her to contumely. IT is easy to see
also why he contributed nothing to her SIM
port. A. glimmering Of the truth was given to
the me puphc in the London correspondence Of
knowledge or privity Of Mr.. Dickens
These facts came to my knowledge through
the kindness of literary friend in London.
tew tSis Gays before Mr. Dickens departure from
injury that had been done him, it was clearly
impossible to do 80 without infiicting the
greatest harm upon Mrs. Dickens. I under
stsnd sS;n that Charles Dickens has always been
ceiye no other injury from his family than she
had already received; that he wished her we'll.
ana that he was willing to do, or to forbear
t;os Gt;ong, anything not Inconsistent with his du-
brother Augustus had left in England.
- 1t only remains to add that Mrs. Bertha
rn1i,lps DICKENS (Whom never SAW bore an
the dacssse IL reputation bap in Chicago
tute, with three infant children to support
and and educate. She was faithful to those Whom
Goo @ committed to her care. Her noble strug-
gle with poverty was alleviated in a great
afegree f.g by the kindhearted gentlemen OF the
land department Of the Illinois Central Rail.
way. ofwhich Mr. Augustus Dickens had been
an employee; and it is safe to assume that her
children will not come tG want. It appears to
me- me taat a.. Mrs. Dickeas sis6is q broken heart
Charles Dickens, SfS&S6e SfSS6e people Of Chicago,
could have healed AAr wound.
servant, HORACE WHTTF '
Editor Of the Chicago Tribune.
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