The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-07-18
EDaAI 4. reI's sfsRY.

EDGAR 4. PoH's sleBY.
Last Strange HxDeFienee With Tho Bril-
liant, Tatol Feet-lhc Strange
Fancy ef . DeDend Con.
sDlfsey. .
Melville P'.;llips IN 1sras S3t;a9s.
So here, without further preface, b
what Mr.. sastain told me Of his last
strange experience with Poe.
"How we'll l recollect that afternoon
nearly forty years ago." said he, "when
Poe, apparently in high state OF excite
ment, his hair tossed about his forehead,
and wild look in his eyes, burst into
my work-room, then on the first floor.
'Sartain,' he said, I could tell tale
that you and the nineteenth century
would refuse to believe. have fed
from those who want TO murder me! l
heard them plotting ON the train from
New York. They sat in the seat back Of
me and Matched the whole scheme. To
kill me, yes, to kill me! They got OF at
Bordentown, and must hide
"'Why was it necessary that they
should alight at Bordentown? I asked
him.
"He gave no heed to the question, but
remained in distracted frame of mind;
saying, where could he hide from the
conspirators, and fiantically urging his
deadly peril. assured him that he
could stay with me as long - he wished,
and tried to quiet him by making light
of his fears. But no, they were still on
his track, and he begged me piteously
for razor or some lsudanum, pleading in
an incoherent way, that he must shave
off his mustache as an extra precaution.
OF course it would have been folly to
have offered him a stimulant-even
coffee was too powerful q beverage for
Poe-and as did not shave, there was
fortunately a good reason for not entrust-
ing him with . razor. But he became 30
violent that at last led him upstairs
into the bathroom. and took off the
mustache, myself, with pair of scissors.
After supper, he insisted upon walking
out, and as I needed exercise, l willingly
agreed to accompany him but an obstacle
prevented itself in the shape Of his trod-
den-down shoes, which were chatting his
feet painfully. As had no spare pair
for him, he was forced to put ON my
slippers, and 90 we started forth. This
wss before the day Of railroads or street
cars, and we boarded one Of the Callow-
hill line of buses for Fairmount. Arriv-
ing there, we sauntered along the river
bank, keeping carefully on the outside
with my arm through his, until we came
to the straight, wooden staircase at the
foot of the waterworks, which we ascend
ed and took seats at the top. I had
hoped for repetition of the beautiful
moonlight we had had the evening before
but heavy clouds gathered in the sky,
and we were soon in inky darkness.
Then, while the schuylkill below US
rolled over the fails, with a solemn,
booming accompaniment, Poe talked like
a madn,an. The one theme which still
possessed his fanciful mind was the ter
rible conspiracy on foot to destroy him,
and the swift words poured forth with an
indiscrible eloquenoe.
"'They have put me in prison. said
he, son q lying charge of theft-theft of .
$50 bill, and swear to you that I was
wholly innocent
"He had indeed been incarcerated in
Moyamensing, over night, afterwards
learned, but it wss for drunkenness, not
theft; and when he was brought before
the magistrate next morning, that as
founded official exclaimed, Why, it's Poe
the poetv and forthwith ordered his dis.
charge. But a. we sat there on the
gloomy summit of Fairmount, his over
excited imagination wove nothing but
1
the strangest conceits.
"'Herev he said, I stood in my cell,
gazing through the iron bars, while the
moon came out in silvery glory, and its
soft beams glinted down till the horrid
dungeon was half luminous. Then, I
suddenly saw standing on the granite
parapet, bathed in this white glow, the
figure Of beautiful woman arrayed in
flowing robes; and she asked me won
derful questions, which, if I failed to
answer correctly, would damn me to an
eternity of woe and misery, worse than
the annihilation of hellv
II am sorry," broke off Mr.. Sartain,
"that l cannot recall those questions
more wild and weird than any Of. the
fervid imageries that ever dropped from
his pen and delivered in such rich
musical tones that our lonely station
seemed peopled with an audience from
the spirit world"
She showed me- he kept on, Some
of the terrible torments l would have tc
undergo. All! what sight! Great cal
drons of boiling liquor, steaming and
izzling in the moonlight But I saw the
trap set by the conspirators, and told hel
90, boldly. If I once faltered, down
down she would plunge me to the chin
in the burning brandy, there to squirm
like 'Tantalus, with parched throat. start
ing eye-balls and agonies of pain. Their
y pack of demons brought my mother Il
the caldron, chopped off her feet before
my eyes, then her knees, her thighs, hel
arms, and at last plunged the poor. bleed
ing trunk into the reeking; bubbling cal
dron.'
"By his mother" observed Mr.. Sartain
"Poe intended Mrs. GLENN. I do no
know the precise relations which existet
between them, but he once or twice re
ferred to her as tempting him. At any
rate, she was strong friend and com
forter; and reccollect his re.narking on'
day, with strange prescience, that he wa
not long for this world, and would lik'