Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-10-20
EDGAR ALLEN POE.

From the Rockingham. Va, Register.l
FALLS CHURCH, FAUQUIER Co., VA,
July %, 1888.
Messrs. Giles Decier & John P. Kerr,
Harrisonburg, Pa:
Gentlemcn-A friend of mine, and
warm admirer of the poet, Edgar Allan
Poe, sent me copy of your excellent
journal (July 19th) containinga lengthy
article on Poe-the circumstances and
Incidents occurring In Philadelphia
some 40 years ago. If yon will grant me
asmall space in your paper so that may
refute this story, and disabuSe the
minds of his friends and the public,
as to the unjust ilaputations and
calumnies cast upon his life, character
and death, you will greatly eblige his
physician.
In reply to the article named L will
briefly give an account OF the time, his
whereabouts and labOrs, from lS43 (or
40 years ago), and let the public judge
Of the correctness, or truthfulness OF
history. unhesitatingly deny that Poe
died drunk and declare that The smell Of
ana intorica,.t Was not upon has breath
or person sUhen he entered tic hospital.
The writer states that he came to his
workrOOm in an excited manner,
wild look in his eyes, &c.-describiug
| person in o fit of delirium tremens,
or mania a potu. Finally he loaned
| him money to pay his expenses to Bal
timore city. Que month from that
| date he fell in with the roughs i'll the
monumental city. Then followed
shameful gutter scenes, of course like
attack of delirium tremens, and i'll a
few days he died in a hospital. 1t is a
shameful and base attuck upon the
1 poet, without the slightest regard for
the truth. In the year 1912, Mr.. Poe
was juimt editor and reviewer Of Gra-
hams Magizine, and l was with him at
least 10 months. Graham says public
Il ", over his own signature. that he was
\ tho most industrious, polite and atten-
tive person he ever knew, and at no
time. did he see or know that he ever
drank. In the spring of 1843,the time
to which your writer refers ,he received
the 500 prize offered by the Dollar
Magazine, for. the "Gold Bug" In
the fall of 1914, his wife was here in
l-liea'th, and he was sub-editor on the
Mirror, II daily paper belonging to N.
r. Willis and Gen. George Morris.
i, Willis gives the same testimony as
Graham. 1t was while at his work with
them he produced the ssRaven," which
carried his name and fame from shore
, to shore and over both continents. In
ii lS45-46 he had charge of the Broadway
: journal, in New York. To this city he
went with his dying wife in the hope
Of her being saved TO him. During the
year 1876, Poe began to contribute to
!. Godey's Lady's Book, and continued
, so to do until within short time OF his
wife's death. In 1847 his wife
:, died. p, In ls48 he commenced
: to deliver . sseries of lee ures tc
realize sufficient means to enable hin
+ to start q magazine of his own. Oct. z
y lS49, he died in the Washington Col
lege Hospital, Baltimore city. Yol
y will discover that from 1912 up to thu
fall of ,1S49 he was constantly employ
- ed, and / am in possession of the testi
mony of each employer that he wa
sober, honest and indefatigable in hi
Il labors. / can prove beyond the feal
of successful denial that from 1845 NJ
=, to the time of his decease he had no
tasted anything for drink but water
= He came from Richmond to Baltimor
o October 4th, reaching Baltimore b.
boat, on the h5th, at s p. III. wa
q. brought to the hospital Oh the 9Th, q
q. m, and died on. the 7th at 1880
>, a. M, or half an hour after midnight
'd He was in my care, as the residen
is physician of the hospital, is hours, an
was perfectly rational Is out of the II
- There was no smell of liquor upon hi
= breath or person. He gave me q d.
d tailed account of his life, the address {
t. those to whom 1 should write regar(
re- ing his death, and to his affianced,
! whom he was to have been married
ten days from his death, and who "
g lives, to testify to the truth of what
g, say. - 81 ''ii
he I have made it nv business for son
= years to gather every fact and incidel
y Of his life, to enable me to take Il
rs field in his defense. I am fully pr
nr pared, and if your people wish to kno
the whole history of him, from h
20 birth to his grave, shall be most ha]
y by to serve them. . have lectured
lg but three cities up to the present an
m have one engagement at Boston tn
IN winter. I lectured in Baltimor
~ Washington and Richmond.
y ri Yours very truly,
k 800 41.,,l--ff,-r j. j. MORAN, NJ. ID.