Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-03-31
| W. | m 3 m. 8 m. | ,r.
Edgar a. Poe.

gifted man is always read by the admirers of
genius. 1t is copd:tse from letter from
Baltimore, published few dtys rgo in tue
NV York Herald
Tpe ''u1melilei di,assers" of 40 unrcmed.
able life seem to follow E5gsr Allan Pee as tar
beyond tho grave IS ever poet Was pursued by
the tu,ies. His euIosiss have done Poe's
memOly II 70 harm than his deiract0rs. No
one secus capable of writing about this sou of
genius iD lucid aud dispsssiUnste way. He
has been always the subject OF oon,rovcr crsy. His
name and memory have been tossed in the air
a thousand times by hall baked adventures
esg:r TO point 3 moral or adotn tale, aod 10
the near wcil, the controlling snd ,isniicant
tsc 10 bis llto have been losi signt # Or treat
ed ss II CT DOT much consequence.
Pue's first literary Work-it We except his ia.
ylnile Volume of poems, "Ei Asrsat'-was
dooe fJr the B B.Iriuore Saturday Visitor, the
editor of which, Dr.. ) K. Saudsrass. Was his
intinatG frleDd. 81 tar ss Pes had intinates
Po! cJrscspouded vi h Sood2rass duriop good
part OF his career, and 10 the stquel OF his last
iatsl misadveoture 10 B4l,iuere, when il was
recs s5ary TO ask him if be bad friends iu the
city. tho came OF Suodgra;s seems to have
been the only one which pass d his l:p',though
be had blood cousins on the spot. Yet even
this warm aod trusted friend must needs make
case" out of POe's history add death. and bss
failed 10 report correctly even the facts which
came under his own observation. Ot curse
this was case 10 which, as often bappens pre-
possession overroTeIs memory, aud DR.. Suod-
grass was probably uLconsclou, OF mlsrepresentr
lns his Il:od.
Dr. SoUdgrass died last sptiog at q little farm
of bis near B,Ik ley Springs, Va, aad lhs
writer has been eusbl.d to Recover Ihs original
of tho letter from the printer. Walker. 10 Sood.
grass, anpouuuiug Poe's list tatbl illness and
spmnooing him to tho po"t's relief
lu illustration Of how PJs has been treated
by bis friends aud sdmir,ts it will be us,ful to
compare the t, X of thia letter With the version
of it given by Dir. Snodgrass 10 80 article writ
ten BY him called The F,cts of Poe's Dsath
aud Burial, which was published 10 Beadle's
Monthly in.lS67. 10 this paper Of Snodgras'
which was meant to be kindly, he says: The
facts ot The case are simply these: 20 Tues
day. November l, lS49, q wet aud cniliy day,
received note bearlug signature which lrtc
oguz,d as that OF primer named Walker,
who oad set type for the Baltinors Saturday
Visitor while l was editing it, AID thus became
aware OF my deep lnterest 10 MIR. Poe. 1t stated
that msD claiming Poe's name, aud to be &C
QU9lUleQ WIFI Hde u OUUlu CeTkGB0t
tavern, near High st. B sltimore, IN state of
beastIy intoxioatiun snd evident dcstituton and
that he had been heard to utter my name as that
of on acqusiotatcs." 1t is Instructive to COM
pare the aciua! Litter with The above version OF
it, and those vino Will carefully do 30 will 20
doubt be able to understand where Griswold
got the materislJ out of which he manufactured
his Infamous and sc1uudrely memoir. Tho
latter il 40 fDllnWs
BALTIMORE CTY. Oot. 3, lS49.
DEAR SIR There 's q gentleman, rather the
! worse ior wear, at RYan's Fourth ward Cols,
who goes uuder the ctgaomen of Edgar A.
Poe, sod who appears 10 great dIstaeas. lie
says he is acquainted with you, aud | assure
you be is 10 ueed of immediate assistance.
Y0uts, iu haste, JOSEPH w. WALKER.
10 D.. j. Z. SNoDGaAss.
Now W wlat are the tc;ual TAOS 10 regard to
Edgar A. Poe's death2 The Baltimore Sun
of October s. lS49. has only this announce.
ment:
We regret 10 learn that Edgar A. Poe. esq, L,
| the distinguished American poet. scholar aud
| critic dice 10 this c yestetdly morning. after
| 40 Illness OF four Or i've days. This announce.
| % ns, comng 80 sudden aud Unexpected, will
GAUSS polgosnt regret among all who admire
| genius and have synpatby for the frslies too
often attending il. Mr.. Poe, Va believe, was
| a native of this State. though reared by foster
| father at RlchmLnd. Va, where he |atply spent
some time 90 visit. He vas 10 the 50 year
! of bis age.
| 1t was durog this visit to Richmond that
the late MIR. JOhu Il. Thompson met him. 10
his occouut Of that ioterviuw be speaks of PJe
as having oonsum a great quantry OF brandy
10 the moruiug ucinte btet ,st and upon an
emp y stomach L t us suppose that Poe ar
riv d 10 B,,inore 90 Wednesday DC ober 3.
| lS49 not entirely free from the etfscs OF bad
nuurs 10 the capital ct Virginia. He must
have reached the ciy in the forenoon. and,
| whether be c,ms ~ rail or by steamboat, he
wouli have n.turany aud almost iusinctively
goue TO the U .ited States Ho el tths present
| Matty Hous } opposite whioF, It hat time,
was tue depot OF the B.llim)ro and Olio rail
road. Poe vas q whig 10 politics. There was
40 eIcci1n goiog 90 that day, very wet and
deapr cable one. for members of Congress and
members of the State Legislature. If Poe had
been dIi1king as all, and il Is altogether llk:l
that be had, be WUud talk, a1d on election day
all men talk politics.
Eight blocks east of the hotel where he was
Was High street, aod 10 the rear of 30 engioe
house 10 this vicioity the Fourth Ward Ciub, .
notorious whlg organz,tlon, had then
''coop" There was 20 regis ry Of voters al
this time 10 Baltimore. aud almost aoy one
could voto who was willing to lace the ordeal .
''chalIerge" and the oath administered BY
Judge of elections. Herce, personal voting
material was valuable. and the roughs @
tbe period, instead OF operaliog sS rcunder
them selves, used to capture and coop inDo,
. cent Strangers aud foreigners. drug them viii
} psd Viii, key and cpistes. aud send them areuGt
10 the citfereut voting places under custody o
one or two of their party 10 help their cause.
The wbig coop in the Fourth ward, o.
High s,rset, was within two squares Of to
a d., l., -, al