Evening journal., 1900-01-30
POE POISONED.
Startling Story Of How The Poet Came
70 His Death.

70 tbs DcdNNs
"A startling story has come to light
aneft the recent commemoration of the
fiftieth anniversary of the death of Ed
gar Allan Poe. A former Baltimorean,
recently living In San Francisco, gives
what be claims TO be true account or
the poets last days. This is the story;
Il was On intimate associate OF Ed
gar Allan Poe for many years. Much
that has been said and written regard.
ing his death Is false. His habitual
resort In Baltimore was the Widow
Meagher's place. This was an oyster
stand and liquid bar on the city front,
corresponding In some respects with
the coffee houses in San Francisco. II
was frequented much by printers and
ranked as a respectable place, where
parties would enjoy a game Of cards
or engage in n social conversation.
Poe was a great favorite with the old
woman. His favorite seat was just
behind the stand. and about as quiet
and sociablo as am oyster himself He
went by tho name OF Baird and when
parties came into the shop It was
Bard, come up and take a nip OF
Bard come up and take hand in this
game
Whenever the Widow Meagher met
with any accident or idea that tickled
her fancy, she would ask the Bard 10
vcfhify II. Poe always complied, writ.
II y many q witty couplet, and at times
poems OF some length. IL was IN this
little saloon that Poes attention was
called 20 an advertisement in q Phil.
aaolphia paper OF n prize for the best
story, and 1t was there that he wrote
his famous Gold Bug which carried
o the hundred-dollar prize.
Poe had been shifting for several
years btween Baltimore. Philadelphia
and New York. He had been away
from Baltimore for three or four
months, when he turned up one even
ing at the Widow Meagher's. | was
there when he came in. He privately
told me that he had been In Richmond,
and was on his way north to get ready
for his wedding. II was drinking all
around, and repeated until the crowd
was pretty jolly. II was the night be.
fore election, and four OF MS, including
Poe, started uptown. We had not
gone half a dozen squares when we
were nabbed by a gang Of men who
We're on the lookout for voters TO
coop
1T was the practice In those days
20 seize people, whether drunk OF
sober, lock them up until the polls
were opened. and then march them
around to every precinct, where they
were made to vote the ticket of the
/, party that controlled the coop. Our
COOP was In the rear OF an engine
, house on Covert street. Il was part
of the game to Supply the prisoners
Z with drugged liquor Well. the next
day we were voted at thirty-one diff
Z ferent places, and over and over. It be
{ ing as much as n mans life was wortf
20 rebel. Poe was so badly drugget
} that after he was carried on two Of
{ three different rounds the gang said I
! was no use to vote q dead man any
, LONGER so they showed him into a cal
/ and sent him into a hospital to &c
J him out Of the way.
D "Tho commonly accepted story tina
. Poe died from dissipation is bosh. III
r died from laudanum OF some othe
Q poison that was forced upon him Il
Y the coop. He was In a dying condition
when he was being voted around IN
; CITY. The story by Griswold of Poe
{ having been on a weeks spree. and O
d being picked up on the street IS false
a I saw him showed into the cab myself
e and he told me he had just arrived Il
!. the city"
n The foregoing agrees in several n
d spects with the account given by tb
L late Chief Justice Nelson Poe. Of Ba
r tnore.-Baltimor Cor St. Loui
0 PostDesDatch.