The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-14

Mystery Solved by One of His
Intimate Associates.

New York Herald.
In striking contrast were the first and
last burials of Edgar A. Poe. On that
dreary autumn afternoon, in 1Si9, when
the most original Of American poets was
laid to rest among his ancestors in
Westminster c~hurchyard, in Baltimore,
only one carriage followed the body of
the poet from the hospital where he
died. The eremon was scant and the
attendants scantier, for eight persons only
were present. Poe had died under a cloud.
His last hours were passed in the charity
ward of a public hospital; he was buried in
a poplar coffin, stained in imitation of
walnut; it was a funeral such as a poor
man with few friends and relatives might
have had.
The mystery surrounding Poe's death
has never been satisfactorily explained.
The account given by DR.. John j. Mo-
ran, in his Defense of Edgar A. Poe"
is known to be incorrect and mislead-
ing. For instance, he gives the names
of eight persons as present at the funeral,
only two of whom were there. They were
Rev. w. T. ID. GLENN and Henry Herring,
both Of whom were relatives of Poe. The
other persons who attended the first burial
of Poe were u. Collins Lee, afterward
judge of the Superior Court of Baltimore,
who had been a classmate of Poe at the
University of Virginia; Nelson Poe, after
ward chief judge of the Orphans Court
of Baltimore; Edmund Smith, a well-known
and his wife, who was a first cousin of
the poet; DIR. j. z. Snodgrass, the last
editor of the Baltimore Saturday Visitor,
the paper from which Poe received the
500 prize offered for the best story.
Another of DIR. Morgan's misstatements
is that the body of the poet was laid in
state in the large room in the rotunda of
the college building adjoining the hospital
that hundreds of his friends and acquaint-
ances came to see hinr-that at least fifty
ladies' received locks of his hair. Poe had
few friends in Baltimore-not a dozen and
they existed only in DR.. Morgan's vivid i'm
~agination.
life, his death was mysterious, and although
he has been dead. forty-nve years, he re-
mains a mystery stu; Nine lives Of the
place of his birth have been differently
mentioned by different biographers; the
place Of his burial was long a disputed
point; the cause of his death and the cir
cumstances attending it have not yet been
An Old resident Of San Francisco. former
ly of Baltimore, gives what he says Is a
true account of Poe's last days and death.
81 was an intimate associate of Edgar
Allan Poe for years. Much that mas Deen
written about his death is false. His ha-
bitual resort in Baltimore was the widow
Meaghers, an oyster stand and liquor bar
journalists. 1t was a respectable place,
where parties could enjoy a game OF cards
or engage in social conversation.
Poe was a sort of pet of the old woman.
and he had a favorite seat, just behind the
stand. He went by the name of the BaiC.'
and when parties came into the place. il was
Bard, come up and take a nip or Bard,
come and take a hand In this game,
1T was In the widow Maegher's little shop
that Poe's attention was called to an adver-
tisement in a Philadelphia newspaper of a
prize for the best original story; and it
was there that he wrote his famous story,
THE Gold Bug which carried off the $l0o
prize. The Bard had been shifting for
SAxarol aa " hnt uyQpp RalrtTnnrn DhilslS u
phia and New York; he had not been in
Baltimore for several months when he
turned UP one evening at the widow
Meagher's. / was there when he came in.
II privately told me that he had been
to Richmond. Pnd was on his way North TO
get ready for his wedding. IL was the night
before an election, and about 10 o'clock four
OF us. including Poe, started up town. We
had not gone half a dozen squares when we
were nabbed by a gang of men who were
on the lookout for voters to coop. 1t was
the practice in those days To- seize men,
whether drunk or sober, lock than up until
the polls were open, then march them
| around to every precinct. where they Were
maae to vote The ticket Of the party that