Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-07-28
Altfau0rla 0ax&tte
SATURDAY EVENING. JULY 28.

How Poe WROTE HIS RAvEN.-Poe's new
biographer. w. F. Gill, rejec!s, as nearly every
one of sensibty and discrimination must, the
poets abored account Of The Raven" az
mere product Of art, aad seeks for clew to the
| poem 10 the circumstances under which it was
WrtteD. Poe was living at B!oomngdale, n
| T., and, shortly before "rhc Raven appeared
| "hls child wife, Virginia, whom he loved with
purity and lutenslty that was little short Of
alteration, was Frustrated by serious iIIoess
| which had previously ;f11lctcd her, aud for
weeks her life Was hung by thread Auima
ton was at times. indeed, seemingly suspended,
aud, on one dreary December night. the poet
Was agonZed to fed her cold and bresthess,
apparently dead. In his lJDeIy, silent Vgls 10
what was, to all intents aud purposes, the pres.
ence OF death, ,maoy strange lmagerles and much
bitter self accusation naturally came to him. AL
though uniformly kind and tender to bis wife, ,hc
had been weak and err;ng from his unfortunate
susceptibility 10 drink, uud an exaggerated
sense OF wrong done TO- his lost loved one,
through his weakness, not unoa'ura!ly came to
bin at this tine, exciting the most irrational
remorse. His unreasOniug, agonz,d replning
undoubtedly took such complete possession of
him as to completely surcharge his mind with
Wv sIaoS'poS''S iENStlSo lDuL uO uioltel CFSt
dared 10 dream before and in pic,urirg to
bimself his vile as departed, his remorse also
forbade him any hope of meeting her 10 the
distant Aidenn OF the future Mr. Gill fol-
lows this natural hypothesis with al analysis
that rivals Poes own for its ingenuity. The
house where "The Raven was written, by the
Way, has been absorbed into New York, With
the Fest OF BloomlogdaIc, aud is sill staldog
on rocky height near the coroer OF S4th st.
and the old BIoomugdale ruai, Go| the ST.
Nicholas boulevard. 1t is paIn. od.iashlon
ed, double-framed dwelllog. tWo stories high,
with eight windows on each side and Que at
either gable with a pointed root, nluked By
two tall brick chmueys.
JUSTICE IN BAHIA--rhe Brazilian prov;Dce
OF Bahia hos la!e!y been agtatsd ty scandal
affecting distinguished member Of society 10
the northeastern part OF the province. Near
to the city OF ltapcur lives great man of tho
o5uoty, Col. Pe!ta.ic. He is large planter,
owns 200 slaves, employs about as macy free
% D, and has at his back the justices Of the
peace, the judge cf the county court, and tho
six substitutes of the county Judge. Whau The
Colonel comes from his plantation to preside
over the City Council be appears with his Uni
formed black pages, armed with brass bluuder.
buss and cutlass, his boiy-guard of obsequious
relations and yeomcn, and every head Is barred
at his approach. A ycoman of his district the
other day pprovlsed some poems in houor OF
lady for whom the Co!cn: entertained pro
found admiration. The CoIouel caused tho
offender to be seized by his retaiucrs, tied toa
post in his cattle yard, and then h,gged and
tortured to such 40 extent that be died three
days later from the effect Of the iohuman treat,
uent. The relatives Of the deceased complained
10 the Public Prosecutor aud County Judge Of
the Coloncl's conduct These tuncliouarIes de
Glued to institute any proceedings in the mat
ter. The District Judge, however, reported
the affair to the President Of the Province Of
Bahia, who scut the Chief Of Polio, with 40
armed force to arrest the Colonel aud conduct
the Inquest which the c)uoty authorities had
feared TO undertake. The ColoDel WAS accord
ingly arrested, aud great hopes were, by Iatcst
ACCOUNTS, eutcrtaiurd that he would be hanged.