The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-10
POE AND HIS PLEDGE.
THE POET A MEMBER or A TEMPER
ANCE UNION IN RICHMOND.
Ha Wa Initiated Several Months Before
His Death-History of HE Coansctisn
With the Organization.

d. IfADlIlN anu Ebtdh VI <hh'Ns'N
poet as IA drunken mailman wneh
Edgar Allan Poe's name Is mentoneS
10 literary circles, but in the same pieas..
refer 10 two OF Great britain .nns
famous poets as poor Burns anu ' az
hapDy byron" are facts as notapie ' &c
;6av arc tnconsistent, when Il Is remeni,,
bered that the English arlstocl'a a. az rsars
scotch peasant have left on recoru ,as rsi an d
syUonyfnous with all that Is lnihol d. c,is.
corrupt. Despite the efforts Vl W" 10
void and others, there Is no ,,o me nheris h.
man now living in Richmond WIZ WIZ ssssocia-
es the memory OF ms peIsoraee 81 bride
tons with Poe with that degree ~ ,pe, Ser
s'pass, h,spbins mn 10 the surface wheheFei
the strange poet Is suggestea.. of lit
NOT alone a keen appreciastal eg,,oSce Of
erary genius, but ratiie ,adagnetism is re-
yealed 10 a newspaper man OF u' Hoa's old
scfool who applies 10 one % The
SoIu ad,.,,s.d win age, brightens In a
,4oSoent the wTinkled couiltean.a .i. ~
ali animation, again the ni.l ny" ~ yosn
over a half a century ,nnident perhaps
frlvial In it's nature were IL not iqe a,,nI .
with him who wrote nc 80 made
What an impression ne must hdi 's no,as
,,nn,, Ali those associates VINO shit oNcs
~ fatits In a breath ana owen upon ~
some flash Of humOr, some outDu ~ ~
s.goni,s some quaint saying, when t0uln
Rave originated with none other INA"
',f6Sv who were personally. sacqualnted
Win The great poet are rapidly passing
away. In a few years none VIII DC lca'
10 defend him whose sr name si as that Of
"a master OF music and diction, ana Dos
ferity can only judge between nan a.
dozen conflicting 4ti9gr srd az unjust as
Two al least OF when are as UNJUST 90
they are Inaccurate. r.. .ho, Doc made
"a number of verbal pledges 70 apslaiiiI
from the use of Intoxicating drink, anu IN
a. {s eouallv well known that he violated
,beea pledges. II Is not, however, gen
orally known that, strange as ! may
seem. he was regularly lnltlateu i iIt.,n
her OF a well known temperance otsa4t 49,
-, in KicbmOnd Whether tins TACT
was ever published by any OF ms Do
graphers / do not know az nv nrint
Snefnb6r ever having seen IL an piln.,
and one or two literary Gentlemen ~
Richmond who have collected bIVSat
deal Of information hDOut inv P oSt -.
I'm that city tell me that they never h rNi',J
OF foe So 3 ~" iIinoyement Whether Poe
ever violated the pledge TO Whlch ne SUI ~
scribed when he became HleIlpeI VI of
Shockoe Hill Division. no. DC not my
nurnose 10 discuss in this limited spdSe'
though a few points which would certai,ai1
ly indicate that he was true 10 HIS PieNso
may be worth recording !. ,oo,rea
There are, so far as can pe 5Ii'on
only two surviving members OF 9Iockpe
Hill Division whose names were Va tho
roll-boOk when Poe was initiated III , tno
summer of 1919 The organization mas
been practically defunct since the Wal,
and there have been no formal meetti,ies s
for wears. The only member ! nave Deeli
able 10 find is William ). GIehn' VIM VIM
can he seen at the corner of Eighth ana
Grace streets in Richmond. ana VINO az
the time OF Poe's initiation held the Oh
fee of Worthy Patriarch OF the to,'nO ~
Mr. Glenn Is still strong adVocdIe 81 ~
temperance. and an untiring worker i0r
the advancement Of the cause. ne 10
about seyepty-siX years OF age on lhS
night OF Poe's initiation he admlnlSlereu
The oath. which the poet TOOK wi ,nnr IN
usual firmness and 10 which, stcpPlh3
up to the desk res0lutely, ne atlacHeu
his signature as though impatient LOT
such an opportunity. As, C,,.,,,
In speaking Of the exercises M Ti n,.ia
saws they were of a peculiarly Solemn
character, and seemed TO have a pow erIui
impression upon the great poet. NeaFly
all of the members OF the Councn WEI =
present as IL was known that Poe would
be received that night. There was cause
for genuine qualification among the meIn-
bership upon the enrolment OF roe
name. He was at that time the n DeraiIyy
lion of the South, and IT was genefahy
known that he was addicted 10 the USE
OF Intoxicating liquors. .,.., ,,,,,,,,,ors
Some OF the most skeptlcal nsliip en- :
Nf the organlza LlQn.- II nose observation
had Beer, perhaps, more scrutiu0hS tnal
that of the others. i'm talking with Mr.
Glenn on the morning after The 1mila-
o were S inclined 70 q9@St h %le seea
the poet under the influence OF liquor,
az d II was understood that he had maue
resolutions only TO break them 80 Iai
as WAS known. however, Poe had not at
tached his signature TO an oath formerly
administered lp to that time. Mr.. Glenn
states that the question became one oil
more than ordinary interest o the mem
hrrs of the Council. several Of whom
X themselves 10 The trouble OF ascer-
ig whether or not the poet violated
his pledge. They constituted themselves
a sort of vigilance committee TO Keep an
eye on the poet, who was at that time
in Richmond. presumably for the purpose
of marrying a widow who resided On
Church Hill It was believed by some
of those who were watching Poe's move
monts that his approaching marriage pro-
duccd a favorable effect upon him.
The exact date of Poe's initiation INTO
Shockoe Council, Sons of Temperance,
is unknown, so far as | have been able
10 ascertain The records of the organi-
Zation, including an application Tor mem
bership In Poc's handwriting, ana Inc
minutes OF the meeting on me nlsnI ne i
was received. were for many years III
the possession OF Mr.. Glenn. After a
careful search he failed to ma them
lie thinks they have heen destroyed
According TO his recollection, the lnlta'
lion took place early in the summer ol
1879 ne thinks between June LIST ano
June 9Th ON the day the poet left Rich'
mond for the last time, Mr., Glenn saw
poe who Informed him that he was goinl
n philadelphia Poe was dressed in Z
neat suit of dark material. which hat
just been purchased and ,ooked the PIC
ture of sobricty. MIR Glenn is iirmiS
OF the opinion that he had abstalnec
from drinking from the time of his initia-
ton mp 10 that day
A day or two afterwards a report
reached the members Of the Council that
Poe had died i'm Baltimore as the result
of a drunken spree. Several of the mem
bers of the Council went TO Baltimore
10 make inquiries into the circumstances
OF the poets death. After a cafeiu
investigation they were Usted mat No
had not been drinking. His new coat
had been substituted by an old, mus n.
which he had with him were missing
According TO the theory of those whC
made the investigation, he had peer
drugged and robbed before he was taker
10 lie hospital where he died Or
Moran who Wss then in charge OF th'
hospital. has left written record II
which he states that the poet was no
under the influence of Intoxicating drni
when brought 10 the hospital, ana glNe
as his opinion fthat Poe died of bran
disease. brought on by nervous TEN
pcrment and continued mental strain.
] have talked with half dozen O
more Of Poes associates in Richmond
They all agree that the poet irequentl!
allowed himself to become intoxicated bl
the too free use OF liquor but M
one Of them can remember having seei
him take a drink between the time ~
became member Of Shockoe Council
and the time Of his death, short tin'
before which he refused stimulants offer
cd him by the attending physician. Tha
he was a drinking man no one VIII de
nv. That he died under the influence
OF liquor as has been stated by seYera
Of his blographers, cannot be satisfac
forlly established. That he refrainet
from the use OF intoxicating liquors from
the night ne was received into the mem
bership of the Sons of Temperance unit
lis death seems to be more than likely
All the facts gathered by members o
that organization point 10 such conCiu
lA n1pnN