Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-10-01
Edgar A. Poe.

"You say that Edgar Allen Poe did
not die from the effects of deliberate
dissipation ?" asked Chronicle reporter.
"That is just what 1 mean, and I say
further that he died from the effects of
deliberate murder"
This was strange assertion; strange
in being flat contradiction of fact, or,
otherwise, a theory, recorded in detail
in the history of American literature
The author of the assertion was well
known member of this city's advanced
and inveterate Bohemia; gentleman
who has long since retired from the &C
tive pursuits of his profession, and
spends his days in dreamy meditation
frequenting one OF the popular resorts
of the craft, but mingling little in the
idle babble of the throng. When drawn
into conversation, it is generally to cor
rect some error from his inexhaustible
mine of Renaissance, and on such oc->
casions his words are few and precise.
"Then you know something of the
poet and his history, Doctor?"
with few others. / was one Of his
intimate associates for years. Much that
has been written Of him and regarding
his death is false. Poe was not what is
called periodical drunkard, holding
himself to spells of total sobriety and
then giving way to violent bouts of in
temperance; but he was steady drink
err, and when his means permitted he
would drink to excess. His habitual
resort in Baltimore was the widow
Meagher's place. This was an oyster
stand and liquor bar on the city front,
corresponding in some respect with the
coffee shops in San Francisco. 1t was
frequented much by the printers and
men engaged in the shipping offices,
and ranked as respectable place, where
parties could read the papers, enjoy a
game of cards, or engage in social con-
versatiOn. Poe was a great favOrite
with the old woman. You would al
ways see him sitting just behind the
oyster stand, and about as quiet and
sociable as an oyster himself He went
by the name Of the Bard. and when
parties came into the shop it was Bard
come up and take a nip or Bard, take
hand in this game He was a sort OF
pensioner on his acquaintance, as far
as drinks were concerned. Whenever
the old woman met with an incident OF
idea that tickled her fancy she would
ask Bard to versify it. Poe always COM
piled, writing many witty couplet and
at times poems of considerable length
Much of his poetical work, quite as
meritorious as some by which his name
was immortaliZed, was thus frittered in
to obscurity. 1t was in this little shoE
that Poe's attention was called to an adj
vertisement in Philadelphia paper o.
a prize for a meritorious story, and il
was here that he composed his famous
Gold Bug which took the prize.
heard him read it before he sent it on tt
Philadelphia, and when it was an
nounced that his story was successful
the Widow Meagher gave him the
money to go on and obtain the prize"
'But how about his death?''
Poe had been shifting between Bal
timore, Philadelphia and New York fol
several years. He had been away from
Baltimore about three months, anG
turned up one evening at the widow
l was there when he came in. Bare
had been making little raise north
and it was drinks all around with repea
until the crowd were down jolly. L
was the night before an election, an(
the party started up town. There wer
four of us, and we had not gone half ,
dozen squares before we were nabbet
by policemen, who were looking TO
voters 10 coop" It was the practic
in those days to seize people whethe
drunk OF sober, lock them up unit
the polls were opened, and then marcel
them to every precinct in control 0
the party having the COOP Thi
coop was in the rear of an enginehous
on Calvert street. It was part of th
game to stupefy the prisoners will
drugged liquor. The next day we wer
voted at thirty different places, ant
over and over, it being as much as ;
mans life was worth to rebel. Poe wal
so badly drugged that he was carried or
two or three rounds, and then the gang
said that it was no use trying to vote {
dead man any longer, SO they showed
him into cab and sent him to the hos
pital to get him out of the way"
well, he died from dissipation"
Nothing of the kind. He died from
laudanum or some other poison tina
was forced on him in the coop. He wa
in dying condition while he was bein,
voted 20 or 80 times in Baltimore. TIL
story told by Griswold of his havin,
been on weeks spree and being picke'
up on the street is all lie. I saw hin
showed into the cab myself. "-Sal
Francisco Chronicle.