The aegis & intelligencer., 1899-03-03
S. TED -. RARE LICK
STRANGE ADVENTURES AND ESCAPES
OF A MANUSCRIPT.
The ChecEcrcd History of ~ Page Of
POe's '"rhe Murders of the Rue
Norgue' Now Carefully Preserved
In the DrcScl Institute.

Morrue" Now Carefully Preserved
In the DrcxcI Institute.
In covered glass case in the library
room of the Drexel institute in Philadel-
phia are IL number of rare literary treas
ures In the north end Of the case, writ
ten in small hand, but so firm and legi-
ble us to look almost like copperplate, is
u manuscript that attracts general atten-
;ion 1t Is page from Edgar Allan Poe's
weird story OF 1.-The Murders of the Rue
Norgur," a story which caused a sensa-
ion when it was first published, half u
,cntuiy or moro ago, and which was not,
Is many uninfOrmcl readers believe, "a
,rOduct of Poe'S wonderfully active imag-
nation, but founded in its main incident
lpon the mysterious murder of Marie
Roget, the New York cigarette girl, which
puzzled the best police talent of the coun-
try and furnished q problem in the solu-
ton of which Poe's marvellous faculty of
,icductive analysis evolved the queer story
that has thrilled and chilled tens of thou
sands of readers through the succeeding
years
Tho manuscript Of the strangely thrill
ing tale, 1.-The Murders of the Rue
Morguc, - was for many years the prop
erty of the late J. NJ. Johnston, II we'll
known newspaper man of Lancaster, Pa,
who died about ten years ago. lie dis
posed of the precious pages of Poe some
years previous. The manuscript came into
his possession about the spring of 1872
At TN time he was an apprentice in tho
Office OF Barrett & Thrasher, aftcrward
Barrett Sc Jones' printers, ut 80 Carter
alley, Philadelphia. Mr.. Johnston believed
tI,,t ~ M rpc nf
azinc, printed by the firm named that tho
story of "The Murders of the Rue Morgue"
first appeared, while the revised proof WAS
read in The Saturday Evening Post office,
which was then located on Chestnut street,
above Third. He had himself stuck tho
type for part of the since famous story.
After the proof had been read the manu-
script found its way into the waste baS-
krt along with bunch of other appar-
entity unimportant copy. But the young
PRINTER boy, who had developed Il high adj
miratiOn for the literary genius of the
| author, Is respect which he maintained
| throughout tho succeeding years of his
| life, picked the copy out of the receptacle
| into which It had been ignominiously cast
md asked and obtained leave to keep it.
| he took it TO his home, where it was put
lway so carefully that tho owner lost
sight OF it for many years.
In lSi6 Mr. .JuhnStrn's father, DR.. vii
| liam Johnston, removed to York county,
| subsequently to Maryland and thence into
| Virginia, carrying with him on these va
| riuuS pilgrimagcS the p%gcs of Poe. Nci-
| thrr the elder Johnston nor his son knew
| that the manuscript was snugly slowed
| between the leaves of II large book in the
| hbrary-in fact, it had been neglected so
-
| gcthcr Determining, after residence of
| some years in the SOUTH to return to
| Pennsylvania, DIR. Johnston made Il sale
| of his personal effects, and among "a lot of
books offered ut the auction was found
| this much Travelled Poe manuscript. 1t
| was ut once recognized, rescued from OBJ
! liyion and forwarded to Mr.. Johnston,
| who had continued his residence in phila-
| dolphia until 1871, removing hence to
| Lancaster, where he rrsained POSSESSION Of
| the lon; neglected pages, hone the worse
| for their p, rarrinlti"aS
| Nj Johnston started business as Il
| lacurrrlntyf:.;t At l..sncast +, being tho
| 49,. t.l,In to permanently establish the oc
;i.:tio'i of ''p.r'Irc t,.iirgs' iii that an
.i.nt town. 'rwico his gallery took fire,
nd u;! on O: I.,.S,, Visitation; If I'll" de-
| ,rjy;::g c!t.:.r'-f tAIt.,'i ., 1851 almost
| u ii h;S h:"Hs' l"p>r| l.!rt"F%S. "rr!-
'iti:S. e., "rr' Consumed h'.t tho ot
| Hn'is"rii@, in.'" ii v I'm t!c l. ares el al
| Id music t%"k, Cs>ai'ra nc "r>cN.
| About Ion i;',::h'T store occupying
| lie first floor ol Ia b.:iis!i:ig il Whic.i hc
| ,h";,:raFh rocI.ls were l1'atvd To K Hire
md buftc i"rl@;;"ly. lh2 iEtihrs "id rot
each the :,,:liyry, last t.Iu smoke dill, and
The 1iTr:mcr drracicl cTcr%t::ing with
I :.
water, destroying boo.:S, papers aAd ";hcf
| property, bI5 hy rir' good l"ftuht thiS
rec EanuScrli afi-A NS>aEcu iHJuf% Ee-
ycnd silSNt "l'' i"::.'' 'h'
| Nh"n thcc:Nll VIZ h."Ee out l-H. Jnhh-
NtoA enlisted and Id Il CONT am "t f'hh-
IylNahi;i volunteers thfhl:'h t.ie af't"GaS
SahlP''lS,iS' oh n.E'rCI'''ii W 'ne Put'"i,S >
ol peace 40 l"''hu l.ip u i'l'ilu'c PV sue
within thu pages oI lho iluHlc oooN "hcfc
he had lett 1t.
| In 1860 Alr. johnston became the pro-
prictor OF the swan hotei' one OF the ven
cradle ana historic h"Steirles oi lancaster
| whlch years ago disappeared DSlorc the ilu-
vance OF trade, though the ancient build
| ing still stands, rcmodclcd to serve the pur-
| pose of il large mercantile establishments.
RatlflnS from the motel IN 1903 10 don me
newspaper harness, Ill which lie passed the
remaining ~ years d MS me, lhe eA-DoiL!-
face consigned Il great quantity OF ruDhi$h
to the ash heap, the old music book, with
its precious contents again, alas, forgot
| ten, sharing the fate of II number CT other
supposed worthless articles.
| The book was seen sticking amid the
ashes by nclghDor, the late John IL.
| Watkins, who, thinking it had been mad