The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-02-27
HOW EDGAR A. POE DIED.
THE BALTIMORE PEOPLES BELIEF.
Said to Have Asked, Before His Death,
"Doctor, What Is the Sentence OF
the Self Destroy
True Cause of His Death.

The story of the drugging to death of Edgar
Alien Poe, by political roughs, so often told
and so fOrcibly by gentleman of San Fran
cisco in an article published in THE
SENTINEL of the 10th, is utterly secuted by.
the people OF the city in which he died, and
where he was so well known and appreciated.
And in support of the statement of the
historian most to be relied upon that "the
absurd stories circulated about his last
moments were absolute inventions" | think
may add few scraps of information cleaned
from private sources. These, though necessarily
vague, recurring to me as they do from
not very precocious childhood are direct
and authentic, and / think worthy Of pub
LEGATION.
l would give much to have now the OPP
portunities once SO little understood and APP
preciated. The most brilliant star that ever
shone in American literature met with an
eclipse so sudden so awful, so mysterious, that
the whole truth can only be reached by an in
tricate research which no one hasever yet IN
stituted.
In Baltimore the name of Poe is held in
peculiar reverence. | think this must have
been especially the case with The maiden aunts
who were my tutors from infancy; for one OF
my earliest recollections is being placed in the
center OF a table and stannering through a.
much OF "The Raven" as any caller could
reasonably be expected to listen to politely. \
weird engraving, called "Nevermore" which
hangs above the sitting-roOm door at home,
also helped to deepen the impression which
afterward caused me 10 listen attentively to in
cidents in the life of Poe as related by those
who could do so from personal knowledge.
On Broadway hill. IN what is known as the
"Old town" of Baltimore stands the huge,
seven-storied building which was then Wash
lngtOn university, the hospital alluded to by
the San Francisco gentleman as the place where
Poe died. Where to locate widow Meaghers
Oyster-stand and liquOrbar on the city 'front.'"
/ do not know, but Poe was taken TO the uni
versity from the veranda OF the Maltby house,
in Pratt-st Years afterward, by q singular
stroke OF fate, Mrs GLENN, the motherin-law
and aunt OF Poe, became an inmate or this
building, it being now the church home and
intirmary of the Anglican sisterhOod. And
here she lived until the close of her life
which occurred in 1915 Who came
20 the old lady's relief in her late years l can
not tell. but the rates for the pay patients at
the home were high and she was not in the de-
partment of the benefciaries.
At this place one OF my aunts passed the last
winter OF her life under medical treatment, and,
as o necessary adjunct, was there also, wide
awake and greatly impressed by the acquant-
ance of Mrs. GLENN. The whole place seemed
pervaded with the memory of Poe. The din
inC-room on the second floor was the room in
which he died. and the aged sister, who was
my aunts attendant, sat by her bedside and
told the particulars of his last hours as she
learned them from the physician who with
him. | wish | could remember all that she
said, but even the physicians name is
beyond recall. This much, however, | can
safely aver, that she rejected with scorn
the idea of his having been drugged
and dragged about the town. Two remarks
heavy with significance were fixed in my mem-
DRY: "Ihe doctor gave him a small portion of
liquor; he said IL was hair of the dog that bit
him." and, THE doctor told me that just be-
fore Poe died he said in rational and mourn
full tone. Doctor, what is the sentence against
the seif-destrOyerp
How can this be interpreted but that misled
into one of those occasional excesses which his
sensitive nature more than his appetite be-
trayed him, he had yielded to temptation and
drank when nature warned him not TO drink
There can be no question of the truth of the
accepted theory that Poe died of q species of
cerebral epilepsy caused by years of torturng
care, an necessarily Overworked brain and the
use of stimulants. "One glass Of wine rendered
him madman, says his biOcrapheTi and i'll
and depressed when he left Richmond he
reached Baltimore in a morbid condition,
which had become almost habitual. There was
no need for political harpies poisonous
drugs That worn frame and fnely-strung
spirit were already verging toward the tomb of
eternity. The fatal chalice sparkled in his
hand; it was marked "Nepenthe," and he
drank of It'll
Mrs GLENN, it is said, never made an allu-
sion TO his death. She probably knew less
about IL than any ono else. 1t was solemn
thing TO me TO follow Sister Margaret into the
room of this poor old woman, aged trembling
and asthmatic. but clear of mind and bright OF
eye. There were two pictures OF Poe hanging
on her wall, and remember thinking him IAN
ugly man." but my childish impression of
Virginia Clemm's lovely face assuredly
correct. Her mother said it was painted at the
convent where Virginia took music lessons,
just before her marriage, for their darling
Eddie" There was not a single copy OF POes
works in Mrs. Clemm's possession. Her large
correspondence included most of the literary
notabila Of the day.
Never can I forget the revulsion of feeling
and how greatly il troubled me when / heard
pretty and rOguish sister, Helen, making
merry at the old lady's tireless hobby, and
how sacrlegious it seemed when | learned that
this sentiment pervaded the institution.
lt was sacrilege When we read of how faith
fully she labored TO keep the little family
together in their days of absolute poverty,
when Poe walked the floor all day with his
little sick wife in his arms and wrote all night
for publishers, who rarely paid him enough
to keep them all from starving, we cannot find
anything to ridicule in the tireless prattle Of
her lonely old age.
There was another who secuted the
drugging TO death of Poe by politicians,
though upon what grounds | do not know.
This was a thin, dark woman, who lived in
obscurity and poverty, and was no other than
Rosa Poe, the poets sister. AT the house of
Mrs Ellen Kemp a benevolent lady OF Balu
more, have heard Miss Poe compl ain in un
sparing language of the homage now paid the
poets genius, while the sister was left to
perish in neglect. I think she must have been
q veritable Rose Ddrtie in real life. II asked
to be explicit, Miss Poe's testimony in regard
to her brother's last days might be important
But probably she is now at rest for she was
shadowy creature then, and it has been nearly
twelve years since | left Maryland.
Mrs GLENN sleeps beside Poe in West
minister church yard, Fayette-st., Baltimore.
Merry little sister Helen went to take I'M
pOrtant charge at ST. Margarets home, East
Grinstead, Eng. Sister Margaret's days OF use
frlness are over; when L last heard from her
she was entirely blind. If living she might be
able TO throw incontrovertble light upon the
debated question of Poe's mysterious death.
MENA X. OGAN.