The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-08-01

Edgar Allan Poe.

i gu 8Ay kA0e GOk0A AAA1V0 w
did not die from the effects of de-
liberate dissipation?" asked . Mroni-
Gle reporter. "That il just what I
mean; and I say further that he died
from the effects of deliberate murder"
This was . strange assertiOn.-
strange in being q fiat contradiction
of q fact, or otherwise . theory, re-
corded i'm detail in the history Of
American literature. The author Of
the assertion was . well-known MEM
Der of tho city's advanced and in
veterate Bohemian, q gentleman
who has long since retired from the
active pursuits of his profession and
spends his days in dreamy medita-
ton, frequenting n Of the popular
resorts of the craft, but ningling
little in the idle babble of the throng.
When drawn into conversation it is
generally to correct some error from
his inexhaustlble mine of reminis-
cence, and on such occasions his
words are few and precise.
"Then you know something of the
poet aud his history, doctor?"
"With q few Others I 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 q periodical
drunkard, holding himself to spells
of total sobriety and then giving way
to violent bouts of intemperance; but
he was a steady drinker, 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 trent, CORE
spending in some respects with the
coffee-shops in San Francisco. 1t
was fresuented much by the printers
and men engaged in tho shipping
offices, and ranked Is a respectable
place, where parties could read the
papers, enjoy a game of cards or en-
gage in social conversation. Poe was
a great favorite with the old woman.
You would always see him sitting
just behind the oyster-stand, and
about as quiet and sociatle as an
oyster himself. He went by the
name of the Bard, and when parties
came into the shop it vas Bard,
come up and take a nip or Bard,
take a hand in this game.' He was
q sort Of pensioner on his acqnaint-
ances, as far as drinks were concern
ed, Whenever the old woman met
with an incident or idea that tickled
her fancy she would ask Bard to
versify it. Poe always complied.
writing many a 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 into obscurity. 1t was in
this little shop that Poe'a attention
was called to an advertisement in q
Philadelphia paper of q prize for a
meritorious story, and it was here
that he composed his famous Gold
Bug,' which took the prize. I heard
him read it before he sent it on to
Philadelphia, and when it was an
nounced that his story was success
full the widow Meagher gave him the
money to go on and obtain the
prize"
"But how about his death?"
"Poe had been shifting between
Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New
York for several years. He had
been away from Baltimore about
three months and turned up one
evening At the widows. I was there
when be came in. Bard had been
making a little raise North, and it
was drinks all around, with repeat,
until the crowd were down jolly. It
was the night before an election, and
the party started up town. There
were four of us, and we had not gone
half a dozen squares before We were
nabbed by policemen, who were
looking up voters to COOP It was
the practice in those days to seize
people, whether drunk or sober, lock
the IL up until the polls were open,
and then march them to every pre-
cinct in control of the party having
the 'coop.' This coop was in the
rear of an engine-house on Calvert
street. It wBs part of the game to
stupefy the prisoners with drugged
liquor. The next day we were voted
at thirty different places and ovel
| and over, it being As much as 8
| mans life was worth to rebel. Poe
was so badly drugged that he wa.
| carried on two or three rounds, and
then the gang said that it was no use
trying to vote a dead nan any
longer, so they showed him into 8
! cab and sent him to the hospital tt
get him out of the way"
"Well, he died from dissipation"
"Nothing of the kind. He dice
FROM laudanum or some other poison
that was forced on him in the coop
He was in a dying condition while
| he was being voted twenty or thirty
! times in Baltimore. The story tolC
by Griswold of his having been Oh
q weeks spree and being picked uI
on the street is all a lie. I saw hin
showed into the cab myself"
"Well what about the genera
character given to Poe by Grlswole
and others?"
Il have nothing to say, only tina!
Poe al a great poet, and he eWec
me nothing when he died."