Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-02-02

Miserable Way tx Whicts the Famous
Eut Unfortunate Came to
His Death.


Edgar Allan Poe died. The time and
place of his birth were for many years
uncertain; even now some OF his BIZ
ographers differ upon the subject. The
place of his burial was at one time un-
decided, but that was definitely settled
in 1875, and a monument was then
erected over his grave in West minste:
churchyard. Baltimore.
former Baltimorean, recently hv-
ing in San Francisco, gives what he
claims to be a true account of the poets
last days and death. This is his story:
ST was an intimate associate of Edgar
Allan Poe for many years. Much that
has been said and written regarding mis-
death is false. His hahitual resort in
Baltimore was the Widow Meagher's
place. This was an oyster stand and
liquor bar on the city front, correspond
ing in some respect with the coffee
houses of San Francisco. 1t 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. His ia
vcrite seat was just behind the stand,
and about as quiet and 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
a nip or Bard, come and take a hand
in this game
Whenever the Widow Meagher met
with any accident or idea that tickled
her fancy she would ask the Bard to
versify it. Poe always complied, writ
ing many witty coupiet, and at times
poems of some length. 1t was in this
little shop that Poe's attention was
called to an advertisement in Phila-
delphia paper of a prize for the best
story, and it was there that he wrote
his famous Gold Bug which carried off
the hundred-dollar prize.
t'Poe had been shifting for several
years between 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. I 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 wed
ding. 1t was drinking all around and
repeat, until the crowd Was pretty
jolly. It was the night before election,
and four of us, including Poe. started
uptown. We had not gone half dozen
squares when we were nabbed by a
gang of men who were on the lookout
for voters to coop"
''It was the practice in those days
to seize people, whether drunk or sober
lock them up until the polls were
opened. and then march them around
made to vote the ticket of the party
that controlled the coop. Our coop was
in the rear of an engine house on Cal
vert street. 1t was part of the game
to stupefy the prisoners with drugged
liquor. Well, the next day we were
voted at 81 different places, and over
and over, it being as much as a mans
life was worth to rebel. Poe was Sc
badly drugged that after he was car
ried on two or three different rounds
| the gang said it was no use to vote q
dead man any longer; so they showed
him into cab and sent him to a hos
| pital to get him out of the way.
''The commonly accepted story that
Poe died from dissipation is all bosh
1t was nothing of the kind. He died
from laudanum, or some other poison
| that was forced upon him in the coop
He was in a dying condition the while
he was being voted around the city
The story by Griswold of Poe's having
| been on a weeks spree, and being
| picked up on the street, is false. He
| told me he had just arrived in the city
and / saw him showed into the cab
The above agrees in several respects
with the account which the late Chief
Justice Nelson Poe, of Baltimore, gave
to the present writer. It is painful to
| think that a man of Poe's wonderful
genius should, after life of intolerable
| misery, die in the wretched manner
above Observation-Disclosures American
RUCTEDv rHAC