Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-25
HOW EDGAR POE DIED.
One of the Men Who Dragged Him Tells
the Story.

No American Poet has attracted more atten-
ton, living and dead, than Edgar A. Poe
Nine lives of him have been written, yet about
no celebrated writer of modern times has i.
been so difficult to get the real facts of his life
and death, writes Eugene L. Didier in the New
York Star. According to some of his biogra-
pliers, he mingled among men like bewildered
angel, while others describe him as prying
fend, or an Ishmaelite, with his hand against
everyone and everyone's against him. The
time and place of his birth were for many
years uncertain; even now some biographers
differ as to that matter. The place of his burial
was at one time undecided but that was def
nitely settled in 1875. when his remains were
discovered in Westminster churchyard. Balti-
more, and amonument of feet inches height
erected over his grave. The causeof his death
and the circumstances attending it have not
yet been definitely determined, and everything
that throws any light upon the subject will
prove interesting to his many admirers.
former Baltimorean, now living in San
Francisco, gives what he claims to be true
account of the poets last days and death.
This ia his story: Il was intimately acquainted
with Edgar Allan Poe for years. Much that
has been said and written in regard to his
death is false. His habitual resort in Balti-
more was the Widow Meagher's place. This
was an oyster stand and liquor bar on the city
front, corresponding in some respects with the
coffee houses of San Francisco. It was fire.
quented much by printers, and ranked as a
respectable place. where parties could enjoy a
game of cards or engage in social conversation.
Poe was great favorite with the old woman.
The favorite seat of the poet was just behind
the stand. and he was about as quiet ard
sociable as an oyster himself. He went by the
name of Bard, and when parties came into the
shop it was Bard, come up and take nip or
fa1r n hop in = a
Whenever Widow Meagher met with any in
cident or idea that tickled her fancy she would
ask the Bard to versify it. Poe always COM
piled, writing many witty ccuplet, and at
times poems of some length. These verses,
quite as meritorious as some by which his name
was immortalized, were thus frittered into OBJ
security. 1t was in this little shop that Poe's
attention was called to an advertisement in a
Philadelphia paper for prize for the best
story, and it was there that he wrote his
famous Gold Bug which carried off the 800
prize.
Poe had been shifting for many years be-
tween Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York.
He had been away from Baltimore for three or
four months, when he turned up one evening
at the Widow Meagher's. was there when he
came in. He privately told me that he had
been to Richmond and was on his way north to
get ready for his wedding. 1t was drink all
around and repeat until the crowd was pretty
full. 1t was the night before election. and four
OF us, including Poe, started up. We had not
gone half a dozen squares, when we were
nabbed by gang of men who were on the
lookout .So tor voters to coop 1t was
seize people, whether drunk or sober.
lock them up until the polls were opened and
then march them around to every precinct,
where they were made 20 vote the ticket of the
party that controlled the coop Our coop was
IN the rear of an engine house on Calvert
4 of tha fNo
prisoners with drugged liquor. Well, the next
day We were voted at thirty-one different
places, and over and over, it being as much as
mans life was worth to rebel. Poe was so
badly dragged that, after he was carried on
two or three different rounds the gang said it
was no use to vote dead man any longer So
they showed him into a cab and sent him to a
hospital to get him out of the way.
1.-The commonly accepted story that Poe died
from the effects of dissipation is all bosh. 1t
was nothing of the kind He died from laud-
anum or some other poison that was forced
upon him in the coop. He was in diving con-
dition when he was being voted around the
city. The story told By Griswold of Poe's hay-
ing been on a weeks spree, and being picked
up on the street, is false; saw him showed
into the cab myself. and he told me he had lust
arrived in the CITY,"
The above narrative will form an interesting
chapter in the life and death of the poet
whose life was a romance and whose death was
tragedy. The account of Poe's last DAYS
agrees in several respects with the account
which the late Chief Judge Nelson Poe, of Bal
timore. gave to the undersigned. 1t is painful
to think that man of Poe's wonderful genius
would, after life of intolerable misery, die IN
the wretched manner above described. But il
must be admitted that the author of s.The
Raven" was cooped and drugged to death b 9
political toughs, who used the hapess poet IA
repeater at a local election. Others hive
vaguely stated this before, and the detailed
account now given by one who was with Poe
at she time confirms the horrible story.