The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-02-19
ANDlNARKS. OF POE
IN HIS LOVED CIT \,
Story Of The Poets Life in Richmond Localitles ano
Houses Made Memorable BY His Association Win
Them Identified and Fixed for All Tine.
- cHARLEs MARSHALL GRAVES,

BY. CHARLES @MA
4; rom rom ny ~ : Copyri
r,a rlv In the seventies O strangc-iooki r.
8 In uorna with a look of poverty 70 ana No
w,rct chedncss II, her shallow eyes, a ? pear
7 =, mon the streets Of Richmond, a., a.
irving 10 sell little photographs ihe y
$50 ,,.cnesses Of her brother, she said n
i,ennlc stared at her and passed on on once t',
Y ~ twice 4 n elderly man or woman stoPpeu
& - snenI, a her. and She would almost CRY
e aiih Iov III sight OF IL familiar face. - 1'e
3 rorc shc let them 20 she spoke Of her wa va ~
IA 5@ioneli,less, aud they readily y pough
38,hca ptcturc sl,c offered. The brother was ..
s Edgar Allen Poe; the woman lt I % ' ''e
MacKcnsie Poe his only slsto 4 !. "a
Poe loved Richmond as $ nc sloye :. ny =,
other place on ca lis y apps
hood was spent thcre-the only per'''o7 s =
III troubled lifc which was free y from q 2
want. Here nc found his foste -in O., 2
B.John Allan, who was proud OF the or hanl
i,oy Y nd the only mother he ever knc y,
u w:hoi vas sweet and gentle with him 70
tic end. Here were the friends ana play
mates OF Ills boy God, ana mere .llved -.
gentle woman who was the ft elelli5 38i y
the most beautiful OF his cary poell.s.l
Td,i
Y NJ .,vns married d by d second to lovely;
ana youthful Virginia Clelnm, and mere
Y, nov sn,clnt the liappicst year of their maj
ried life. Here as editor Of the "Southt-
crn Literary Messenger, he did much OF
K his best work. &; "a $77fs8 4 Sss5 81
landmarks Passing Away.
Il 5iA one iirne Richmond was full of houses Is! 3
nnd localities closely associated with the
met. 1T is a wonder and "a pity. It ~o ,lNo
seem, that his bIogruphers have not point
a ed these out The theatre In which zoe 3
mother played, stood on ! the north sac o.
4 Broad Street. between .TWelllth& ana sot.
lege Streets. II was burned on inc nis ~.
u ~ December 90, 51Sl1.s It was the benefit
Il nerformnnca OF Mr.. Placide, one Of the
most noplllar actors OF Green's Company,
) ofE7which Mrs, Poo had been q member,
and 4 q III was In tho Christmas holidays;
the then ire was Gro wded. That night sew
enty-two persisted In the flames Scarce
~ family OF prominence IN the CITY
& but lost member or 10 close CONNECTICUT
3 Three years after the burning OF the play
& house. the Monumental ChuFcn was et 1e',.
cd on tho site. The ashes OF those VINO
y pcrIshcd In the theatre are preserved ~
& n a marble urn In the yestibule ga OF the
church and their names are inscribed
upon It. < 3sZs 55 "a j.
Mrs S Poo appeared for the last time
OH her benefit night early in the OCTOBER
preceding the fire. Rosalle Poo was on!y
"a few months old. having been born IN
4 the summer OF the same year; Edga was Vi!
nearly two, and William Henry to o!i
Mrs Susan Archer Taliey Weiss who
knew Poe Intlmat ely during his last Visit
10 Richmond in 1S49. and to whom. snys
Il Professor yVoodberry. In his excellent lile
Il OF Poe, us due the most lifelike q no gde-
tailed portrait Of him that exists. mas
given me a connected and #unqucStlon.
h ably correct account of the last days Of
Poe's father and mother. 5li.
IS Left an Orphan.
David Poe, his father, died OF consunlp-
& ton late In tho spring OF ISL while the
3 family was living In Norfolk Mrs. Weiss
# SAYS that her mother sister, N rs. fsultt,
ana the Poes occupied q double tenement
rouse on Bermuda Street. Norfolk. ana
thnt David Poe was buried In one Of the
cemeteries of Norfolk Rosale Poe was
born about this time. whether before or
after the death OF hor father. Mrs, Weiss
docs not remember. In the summer OF
that year Mrs, Poo came to Richnlond
that she might take her place N lreen = :
Company, which opened ~ enga sc'neht
at tho Richmond Theatre IN September,
Mrs, Weiss says that the WldoWeu ~,
trcss broken In health and utterly ruined
III, fortune, engaged q cellar for herse!t
and her children under the store of q mlll-
s rer named Phillips. Sho does not remenl-
her this mun's Christian name, and there
are 10 directories OF Richmond rs fnr
back as that. Hls place was on the South
side, Of Main Street, In the BIRD ~ Hand
n District consequently nea \ where ~ ockoe
Creek now flows, goins under the street,
but then through It. In her damp cellar
the delicate actress contracted pneumon'a'
and on Sunday, December 5. Bll, died,
4 She was probably buried at the expense
ar tho city. Her grave, says Mrs, elss'
d is in the burying ground OF old st, JOINS
Church, by the eastern wal, butone LOOKS
for 1t In vain, This church IS known 70
ali the world for the Immortal words
spoken there by Patrick lIenry---'Glye me
liberty, or give me death" 80
Il The good peoplp OF Richmond had peen
n considerably wrought up by the appeal!!
made through the Richmond EnqulrerEs
of November 10th. Mrs, Poe was $dcsper-
+ ately III and In great want, the paper salu,
Il THE little paragraph, which Is addressed
to 1.-THE Human Iienrt" eoneluded ~
saying that this would probably be ller
< last plea tor ssstance, was,
Children Find Homes,
The children were not long homeless,
Y William was sent to his grand i her ~
baltimore. Mrs Jane Mac fenzlal TOOK
4 Rosalle, Mr., and Mrs. John Al ian took
4. Edgar Or, John 4. VI arter, who obi IN
j q hid informatI ton from hls 99o thess ana