Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-07-30
Tho Last Hours oF poe

DR.. J. Z. Snodgrass furnishes to
monthly the following graphic account o
the last hours of the poet:
On Tuesday, November /, 1910, we
and chilly day, received note, bearing I
signature which recognized as that Of I
printer named Walker, who had set twp.
for the Baltimore Sunday Visitor while
was editing 1t, and thus became aware o.
my deep interest in Mr.. Poe. It stated
that man claiming Poe's name, and said
to be acquainted with me, was at Booth &
Sergeant's tavern in Lombard street near
High, Baltimore, in beastly state of in.
toxication and evident destitution, and that
he had been heard to utter nv name az
that Of an acquaintance.
| Immediately repaired 10 the drinking
saloQp-for such it was, although dignifed
by the designation Of tavern-and, sure
enough there was Edgar Allan Poe, in a
condition that had been but too faithfully
described by Mr.. Walker He was in the
bar-room, sitting in an arm chair, with his
head dropped forward, and 30 stupefed
with liquor, and so altered from the neatly
dressed and vivacious gentleman which he
was when l had the pleasure of a call from
him, that, unaided, should not have dis
tinguished him from the crowd of less in
toxicated men whom the occasion of'election
had called together at the tavern, as the
voting place Of the ward in which he was
located
The Washington College Hospital having
been fixed upon, a messenger was dis
patched to procure "a scarrhge. While
awaiting its arrival, ! had an opportunity
to observe more closely than 1 had taken
time to do previously, the condition and
apparel of the strangely metamorphosed
being in the bar-room, who wore q name
which was synonym for gnius-the first
glance at whose tout ensemble was well cal
culated to recall Poe's own 80 frequently
limited metempsychosis.
His face was haggard, not to say bloat-
ed, and unwashed, his hair unkempt, and
his whole physic repulsive, His expan-
sive forehead, with its wondrous breadth
between the point where phrenelogists To-
cate the organ idealiy-the widest 1
ever measured-and thit full-orbed and
mellow, yet soulful eye, for which be was
so noticeable when himself, how lustreless
and vacant they appeared to be now,
shaded from view by rusty, almost
brimless, tattered and ribbonless palm
leaf hat. His clothing consisted of a sack
coat of thin and glazed black alpaca, rip
ped more or less at several Of it's seams,
and faded and soiled, and pants of steel
mixed pattern Of cassinette, half worn and
badly fitting, if they could be said to fit at
ALL He wore neither vest nor neckcloth,
while the bosom of his shirt was both
crumpled and soiled. On his feet we're
boots of coarse material, and giving no
signs of having been BACKED for long
time, if at all
The carriage having arrived, we tried to
get the object Of our care upon his feet, so
that he might the more easily be taken to
it. But he was past loconotion. We
therefore carried him to the coach as if he
were corpse, and lifted him into it in the
same manner. While we were doing this,
what was left of one of the most relnarka-
bic embodiments of genius the world has
produced in all the centuries of its history
the author of O single poem which alone
has been adjudged by more than one critic
as emitting its producer to lasting and en-
viable fame-was so utterly Voiceless as to
be capable Of only muttering scarcely in
telIgible oaths, and other forms of impre-
cation upon those who we're trying to res
cue him from destruction and disgrace.
The carriage was driven directly to the
hospital, where its unconscious occupant
was assigned to the care Of its intelligent
and kindly resident physician. OF the
numerous and strangely contradictory
memoirs Of Mr. Poe that have preserved,
there lies one before me, which states that
insanity epsued, and that next morning
he died miserable, raving maniac.
AS to time, this is not true. BE lived
nearly week, instead Of dying ''next
day." as one account hasit or Gin few
hours, " as another records It, but dying on
the 7th Of the same month Monday Be-
sides it might convey the idea that he had
no lucid moments. But he had and in
one of these an incident transpired which,
while its mention may serve to extend the
already long, as we'll as increasing record
of the last words of noted men, it will not
be recognized as anything but character
lstic Mr.. Poe, who was always haunted by
a terrible, vague apprehension Of death and
the grave. When the hospital physician
became satisfied that the author of evil
liam Wilson," a favorite tale of Mr.. Poe,
and of "The Raven" had written his last
story and his last poem, he addressed him
in concerned and kindly manner, saying:
"Mr Poe, it is my painful duty to inform
you that you have, in my Judgment only
very short time to live. If you have any
friends whom you would like to see, name
them, and your wish shall be gratifed; I
will summon them"
Friends !" exclaimed the dying son of
genius Friend l"--repesting the word
for moment, as if it had no longer def
mite meaning, my best friend would be he
who would take pistol and blow out these
id wretched brains p pressing his hand
to his forehead as he uttered the awful i'm