Year: 1878

What u San Franciscan Knows About


His Death.


SMn Francisco Chronicle


"You say that Edgar Allan Poe
did not dio from tho effects of de-
libcrate dissipation 2" asked u
Chronicle reporter.


"That is just what I mean and I
say furthor that he died from the
effects of deliberate murder"


This w"' q strange assertion
strange in i.sing n fiat contradiction
OF fact, or otherwise q theory, re-
corded in detail in the history of
American literature. The author of
the assertion was q well known
member of the city's advanced and
invoterate Bohemia, gentleman
who has long since retired from the
active pursuits of his profession and
spends his days in dreamy modita..
tion, frequently one of the popular
resorts of the craft, but mingling
littlo in tho idle babblc of the
throng. When drawn into CONVEX
sation it is generally to correct some
error from his inexhaustiblo mine
OF "reminiscences, and Oh such oc-
casions his words arc few and pre-
else.


''Then you know something of the
poet and his history, Doctor 2"


"With few others ! was one Of
his intimate associates for years.
Much that has been written Of him
and regarding his death is false,
Poe was not what is called q peri-
odical drunkard, holding himself to
spells Of sobrioty, and then giving
way to violent bouts of intemper-
ancc; but he was q steady drinker,
and when his means permitted he
would drink to excess. His habitu-
al resort was the Widow Meagher's
place. This was all oyster stand
and liquor bar on the city front,
corresponding in some respects with
the coffee shops in San Francisco.
1t was frequented much by the
printers and men engaged in the
shipping offices, and ranked rs a
respectable place. where parties
could read the papers, enjoy game
OF cards, or engage in social con-
versation. Poe was q great favorite
with the old woman. You would
always see him sitting just behind
the oyster stand, and about as quiet
and sociablo as an oyster himself.
He went by the name of the Bard,
and when parties came into the
shop it was, Bard, come up and
take u nip, OF, Bard, take hand
in this game He was a sort of
ponsioner on his acquaintances, as
far as drinks were concerned.
Whenever the old woman met with
any incident or idea that tickled her
fancy, she would ask Bard to
versify it. Poe always complied,
writing many q witty couplet,
and at times poems of considera-
bio length. Much of his poeti-
cal work, quite as meritorious
as some by which his name was i'm
mortalized, was thus frittered into
obscurity. It was in this little shop
that Poe's attention was called to an
advertisement in Philadelphia pa
per OF q prize for q mcritorious
story, and it was here that he COM
posed his famous Gold Bug which
took the prize. I heard him read it
before he sent it to Philadelphia,
and when it was announced that his
story was successful, the Widow
Meaghor gave him 5he money to go
on and obtain the prize"


"But how about his death 2"


"Poo had been shifting between
Baltimore, Philadelphia and Now
York for several years. Ho had
been away from Baltimore about
three months, and turned up one
evening at the widows. I was
There when he came in. Bard had
been making a little raise North,
and it was drinks all round, with
repeat, until the crowd were down
jolly. 1t was the night before an
election, and the party started up
town. There were four of us, and
we had not gone half dozen
squares before we wero nabbed by
policemen who we're looking up
voters to coop 1t was the practice
in those days to seize people, wheth-
er drunk or sober, lock them up
until tho polls were opened, and
then march them to every precinct
in control of tho party having
the coop This coop was in the
rear of an engine house on Calvert
street 1t was part Of the game