Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-11-05
Poess Closing Hours.

this short but fateful period OF the Poe&
life, Just given by Dr.. J. j. Moran, resident
physician of the Hospital where Poe died. |
The physician says:
Edgar A. Poe was brought in hack to
the Washington University Hospital, sie-
uated on Broadway, North OF baltimore
Street, Baltimore City, on the TN OF DC
tober. 1869. He had been found lying upon
a bench in front Ct large mercaE tile
house Oh Light Street wharf. He was IN d
stupor, whether from liquor or opium was
not at first known. A ge tleman passing
along the pavement noticed several persons
collected about tir spot, and looking III
through the crowd WAS suddenly impresse
with tie face, and on close Inspection,
recognized the poet. He had been there
since early dawn.
A policeman sent for hack and directed
the hackman to convey him to the above
named Hospital, which was in my charge,
being the resident physician and living IN
the dwelling attached thereto. 1t was
about ten O'Clock in the foreno On when ne
entered the house. He was immediately
placed in private room, carefully UNI
dressed and critically examined. had not
then any knowledge Of his previous condl-
ton OF what were his habits. There was
no smell of liquor upon his person or
BREATH There was no delirium OF tremor.
His skin was pallid, with slight nausea at
the stomach and a strong disposition to
Sleep His condition was more Of stu
Dor. He was sponged with lukeWarm
water, sinapisms applied to the feet, thighs
and abdomen. and cold applied to the head.
| When CONSCIOUSNESS was restored, he
| asked
s:Wlere an. I, doctors2''
'sYou are in the care of your friends'';
| to which lie replied, My best friend would
be Che mansWho would blow my brains out
| WITH n pistol"
s:Try and be quiet, Mr.. Poe; we will do
all we can to make you comfortable and
! relieve your distress"
] con. wretch that l am Sir, when |
behold my degradation and rum, what |
I have suffered and lost, and the sorrow and
misery L have brought upon others, | feel
that could sink through this bed into the
| loWermost abyss below, fOrS lken by God
and man, an outcast from. society. o.,
| God, the terrible strait am in Is therr
no ransom for the deathless spirit -
s'Mr. Poe, do try and compose yourself
and take this draught; 1t Will sooshe ali i
revive you.
He reached out his hand to take the
glass. the nurse raising his head, while |
administered the cordial. He drank it aid
was laid down, closing his eyes rs though
going to sleep.
The physician, observing his nervous
condition, enquired:
ssWill you take Il little toddy ~
He opened wide his large eyes and fixed
them SO steadily upon me, and with such
anguish in them that | looked from Linn
to the wall beyond the bed. lie said:
'sSir, if its potency would transport me-
to the Elyslan bowers Of the undiscovered
spirit world, l would not taste it.
would not taste it. Of its horrors who can
tell ?''
II must administer an opiate to give you
sleep and rest.
Then he rejoined
"Twin Ceyil and spectre of craZed and
doomed mortas Of earth and perdition ~
''Mr. Poe, it is very necessary that you
should be quiet and free from excitement ;
you are in critical condition, and excite
ment will hasten your DEATH"
doctor, 1 am i'll. Is there no hope :"
1.-THE chances are against you.
elbow long, oh, how long, before [ see
would like to see my love, my dear love -
81 will send for any one you wish to
see."
I knew nothing of his family, and asked,
''Have you a family ~
} ssNo, my wife is dead, my dear Virginia
my mother-in-law lives. Oh, how my
} heart bleeds for her Deaths dark angel
| H.
upon the storm without compass or helm
Language cannot tell the gushing wave
that swells,. sways and sweeps, tempest
, lie, over me, signalling thu 'larum OF
death. Doctor, write to my mother, Ma
ria Clemm Tell her, her Eddie is here
No. too late too late [ must lift the pail
and open to you the secret that sears the
heart, and, dagger-llzc, pierces the soul.
was to have been married III ten days. =
Here he stopped to weep
ssShall l send for the lady :" | asked
supposing she lived in the city.
''Too late too late y.
said, con no; [ will send my CARR age
immediately
''No, write, write to both. Inform them
Of my illness and death both at the same
II time"
ssGiye me their address,
Mrs. Shelton, Norfolk, Va, and Maria
GLENN, Lowell, Mass
Beef tea was then administered, and he
apparently revived, and opening his eyes:
fixing his gaze upon the transom over his
room door, each room having transoms
) over the door for ventilation and air, he
kept them unlnoved for more than q min
ute. He Was lying directly opposite this
transom. He seemed trying to articlate,
doctor, it's all over. Write Eddie is
no MORE"
J Eddie" was term used by Mrs. GLENN
his mother-in-laW
. s.Mr. Poe, permit me to say that you are
} near your end. Have you any wish OF
word for your friends ?"
sHe said, ''Evermore ~
!. I continued: Look to your Saviour. -
There is mercy for you aud all mankind
God is love-"
THE arched heayen,'' he rejoined zen
compasses me, and God has HIS DEGREES
legibl7 written upon the frontletS of every
created human being and demons incar:
nate, their goal will be the SETTLING waves
of black despair"
''Hp pc and trust Him."
''Self-murderer, there is a gulf beyond
the stream. Where is the buoy, life-boat
ship Of fire, sea of brass? Rest, shore nc
mOre.'
His eyes turned upward and the white
balls We're all that could be seen. Muscu
Lar tWltchlng and jerking set in, and with
one general tremOr all was over.
This occurred about twelve o'c ock, mid
night, 18th October, 1919
After death he was washed and careful
ly laid out, dressed in a suit of black cloth
and placed in state i'll the large rotunda OF
rhe College building, where hundreds OF
friends and admirers came ill CROW dis to
pay their last tribute of respect to the de-
ceased. Not less than fifty ladies were
each furnished, at their earnest sOllclta-
ton, with a small lock of his beautiful
hair. His body was kept in the rotund Z;
for one whole day.
He was a handsome man, elegantly
dressed, and but few could claim advan-
tage over him in this regard. His head
was exquisitely modelled, forehead very
prominent and largely developed, its meas
urement corresponding to that of the
great Napoleon BOnaparte, a cast OF which
was in my possession, His skin was fair,
hair raven black and inclined to curl,
teeth perfectly good and eyes grey. His
| WEIGHT WAS about 145 DOunuS and height