The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-07-21
PATHOS AND TRAGEDY IN
 LAST DAYS ON EARTH
 OF EDGAR ALLAN POE
By HUGH ". ROBERTS

the tomb of the man of letters. turned around and spoke.
 q am here every day" he ex- plained My father knew him"
 
 Afterwards on the steps of an old church, about the front of which Vir- glnia ivy had creeped, and having creeped. concealed beneath it's leaves every block of ancient granite, the gen tleman spoke of Poe. and so effective was the influence of his tale that one seemed to mingle with the revelers on that last strange day in Baltimore.
 The scene was vividly pictured. The city of romance. then without it's breath ing parks and stately structures, was throbbing under the excitement of To- cal election. From Virginia, en route to New York. Poe arrived. Youthful bloods, in tune for the brillance and deviltry, the coy humor and dazzling sallies, the fear less speech and charming recklessness of the impeeunious fellow, insisted that he remain. His passion for life, to feel again the Joyous rush of blood grown sluggish, to move in an atmosphere of color and yield to the pleasing touch of romance ruled-and he went to his doom. In the grill room of the Calvert club, the revelers reveled There they wined and dined. sang & song in chorus. and under the spell of stories drol and pe- cular, each of which fell from the lips of Poe. the hours of morn and noon were whiled away.
 
 Late In the day, under the mellow infiu- ence of the rum grown good with years, the revelers left the club and prepared to make the circuit of the polling stations l When the first was reached. obeying a sudden impulse Poe offered ballot, The 1 officer received 1t without question. To l vote at every other booth then became | the obsession. To carry out the scheme, his companions encouraged him. At the | second he voted. At the third his bal lot was accepted as the result of a very clever speech At the fourth he recited a poem. and at the fifth gained his point when the telers withered beneath his scathing sarcasm.
 l The sixth station was in rum shop l where now stands the Belvodere hotel, The night had fallen when Poe and his friends. then staggering under the bur dens which fin earlier hours they had borne so gladly, halted at the spot, Drinks were ordered, and other drinks. And when he was reminded that his task would not be complete until he had cast another ballot, Poe found to his dismay l that the hour was too late
 One by one. his friends with falter- ing steps deserted. At midnight he crumbled into a feverish sleep He was dying when a surgeon reached him.
 The following morning the soul of Ed l gar Allan Poe took it's flight
 There he lies" said the man who told l the stony. One of his companions on l the day of his doom was my father" | The moon was up and the gray shaft as some pale spectre, appeared as If alone In the shadows. It was unpretentious as was the statue of the man it stood above. It's apparent loneliness was in keeping with the retiring nature of the dead.
 In that moment bust of Fallas might | have appeared and above it perched a grim, foreboding raven; and lad in gut 1 teral tone the bird pronounced it's Never moren no one would have thought the apparitlon out of keeping or the fixed laws of nature infringed upon.