Nevermore: The Death of an Icon

In our latest episode, "Nevermore: The Death of an Icon," we dive deep into the enigmatic circumstances surrounding the demise of the legendary Edgar Allan Poe. This story in one part takes us on a haunting journey through Poe's life, from his tumultuous childhood to his rise as a literary genius, and ultimately, to the cryptic and mysterious events leading up to his untimely death in Baltimore. Was it alcoholism, illness, a personal dispute, or something even more sinister that claimed the life of this iconic figure? Join us as we explore the various theories and secrets shrouding the death of Poe and his lasting legacy in the world of mystery and horror literature.

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Transcript

Nevermore: The Death of an Icon: A Story in one part

[Underscore Music]

Amidst the shadows of history, a haunting mystery shrouds the departure of a tortured soul, much like the mysteries that danced through the tales he spun. As the riddles of his own life echo through time, a haunting refrain lingers: "Nevermore." 

[Theme Music Start]

We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows.

[Theme Music Play Out]

[Under Score Music]

Ryan's Tavern in Baltimore had witnessed a bustling day, with a constant influx of men arriving to cast their votes in the current election cycle. Most of these patrons hurried about their tasks, either oblivious to the slouched figure nearby or deliberately choosing to ignore it. Given that this polling place was also a saloon, it was conceivable that many assumed the man was simply an unfortunate casualty of excessive revelry from the previous night.

On October 3, 1849, Joseph Walker likely entered Ryan's Tavern with the primary intent of casting his vote. However, unlike the hasty comings and goings of others, Joseph Walker took a moment to assess the situation and he chose to extend a helping hand to the distressed man, choosing to leave his loneliness unbroken. He asked the man if there was anyone the man wanted him to summon for assistance. The man, who appeared to Joseph to be inebriated beyond doubt, mumbled a few names before finally mentioning one that Joseph recognized.

Immediately, Joseph dispatched a message to a certain Dr. Joseph Snodgrass, the note reading, in part: "There is a gentleman, rather the worse for wear, at Ryan's Fourth Ward Polls — and who appears in great distress, and he says he is acquainted with you, and I assure you, he is in need of immediate assistance."

Upon receiving this urgent note, Dr. Snodgrass promptly made his way to retrieve the man, having him transported to the nearby Washington College Hospital. There, the ailing man was entrusted to the care of Dr. John Moran.

Over the following days, Dr. Moran attended to this patient and concluded that alcohol was undeniably the root cause of the man's afflictions. The weakened man seemed to drift in and out of consciousness, remaining unable to offer any insight into what had led to his poor condition. Word of the man's dire state spread, even prompting a visit from his cousin, who regrettably had to be turned away with the explanation that the patient was unfit for visitors.

Just four days after being admitted to the hospital, the man's condition took a sharp turn for the worse. Dr. Moran was present at his bedside as the man, caught in the throes of delirium, repeatedly uttered the name "Reynolds." In the early hours of October 7, 1849, the patient ultimately passed away.

The deceased man, though not wealthy, enjoyed considerable recognition, prompting the local newspaper, the Baltimore Sun, to lament in their October 8th edition:

"We regret to learn that Edgar A. Poe, Esq., the distinguished American poet, scholar, and critic, died in this city yesterday morning, after an illness of four or five days. This announcement, coming so sudden and unexpected, will cause poignant regret among all who admire genius, and have sympathy for the frailties too often attending it."

[Music Change]

At the age of 40, the maestro of macabre literature and the pioneer of the detective mystery had passed away. Poe's demise elicited sorrow from many, yet Dr. Moran's verdict attributing his death to alcoholism was widely accepted, this had been a fact known to anyone even remotely acquainted with the literary genius.

Nonetheless, in a manner befitting Poe's own penchant for mystery, subtle murmurs soon surfaced up and down the Eastern Seaboard, suggesting that the architect of countless grisly literary deaths might have met his own end by someone else's hand.

[Music Change]

Edgar Poe's life was steeped in tragedy from the very beginning. He entered this world on January 19, 1809, in Boston, born to a pair of traveling actors David Poe Jr. and Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe. Being the second of three children, Edgar's early years were marked by the ever-changing stages of his parents' nomadic lives, offering him anything but a stable upbringing.

In a cruel twist of fate, in December of 1811, when Edgar was not yet three years old, both of his parents passed away within days of each other. However, historical records, as documented by The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, hint at a prior separation between his parents, suggesting they did not meet the same tragic end, nor had they passed from the same cause or illness. In fact, as evidence of their separation, the Society points to a notice in the July 1811 Norfolk Herald, issued five months prior to Poe's mother's passing, appealing for support for Mrs. Poe, who was described as "left alone, the only support of herself and several small children." This would be the first in a series of women who would leave a poignant imprint on Poe's life, all sharing the unfortunate fate of passing away after Edgar had formed deep attachments to them.

After Edgar’s mother succumbed to tuberculosis, Edgar and his siblings found themselves orphaned and separated. His older brother, Henry, went to live with their grandparents in Baltimore, while Edgar and his sister, Rosalie, were taken in by different families in Richmond, Virginia.

Edgar found a new home with John Allan and his wife Frances. The Allans, childless themselves, did not formally adopt Edgar, but they raised him as their own. When Edgar was baptized, he even took on "Allan" as his middle name, completing the name we all know and adore to this day, Edgar Allen Poe.

Specific details of Poe's life with the Allans remain somewhat elusive. Poe's own correspondence often presents conflicting accounts of his upbringing, particularly concerning his relationship with his foster father, John. Most indications, however, suggest that Poe held a deep affection for Frances, while his relationship with John was characterized by periods of friendliness interspersed with occasional tensions. John, mindful of Edgar's future, ensured he received a proper education, and as John's wealth expanded over time, Edgar enjoyed increasing privileges.

The first major rift between John and his foster son emerged in 1827 when John declined to assist Poe in settling his gambling debts accumulated during his time as a student at the University of Virginia.

Subsequently, perhaps as a means to turn over a new leaf, Poe enlisted in the Army and eventually rose to the rank of Sergeant-Major. In 1829, duty called him back to Richmond, this time for the somber occasion of his foster mother Frances' burial—the second beloved woman to depart from Poe's life, leaving him in grief.

John Allen entered into a new marriage the following year, and despite providing him with three sons, his new wife failed to replace Frances in Edgar’s heart. The new Mrs. Allan harbored no fondness for Edgar either. In March 1834, when news reached Poe that John was gravely ill, he hurried to his foster father's bedside, only to be met with resistance from the second Mrs. Allan, who sought to block his entry. Poe pushed past her, desperate to see his ailing adoptive father, only to be confronted by an enraged John Allen, who cursed at Edgar and demanded that he leave immediately. After John's passing, Poe discovered that the man who had raised him, and whom he had affectionately addressed as "Pa," had altered his will, erasing all mentions of Edgar.

Following a period of sorrow and resentment, Poe gained perspective and wrote to a friend after John's demise:

"I looked forward to the inheritance of a large fortune—and was in receipt of an annuity sufficient for my support—by a gentleman [who] always treated me with the affection of a father. But a second marriage on his part, and I dare say many follies on my own, at length ended in a quarrel between us."

[Music Change]

In 1827, Edgar Allan Poe made his literary debut by anonymously publishing his first book of poetry, "Tamerlane and Other Poems." Today, it is believed only 12 copies of the collection still exist. His early poetic works garnered modest success, but it wasn't until 1831 that he shifted his focus to the short story format, a genre in which he would ultimately achieve great renown.

Like his early poetry, Poe's initial forays into short fiction were published anonymously. He often submitted his stories to contests, not only seeking prestige but also desperately needing the prize money, as his anticipated inheritance from John Allan had vanished.

Transitioning from contributor to editor, Poe spent his early years working for established literary journals. However, he found these pursuits unsatisfying and would spend the rest of his life striving to create and publish his own magazine.

In 1836, Poe married his cousin, Virginia Clemm, who was just barely a teenager. His aunt, Maria Clemm, effectively became his mother-in-law. This marriage could be seen as Poe's attempt to simultaneously fill the maternal void left by his own mother and by Frances Allan with Maria. In Virginia, he may have found the embodiment of the beautiful young woman he imagined his mother to have been when she tragically passed away at a young age.

In 1840, a Philadelphia company published Poe's "Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque," featuring tales of terror that would later become synonymous with his name, such as “The fall of the House of Usher”.

A year later, Poe's story "Murders in the Rue Morgue," often considered the first detective mystery tale, appeared in Graham's Magazine, where Poe was employed as an editor. The story received acclaim, leading Poe to craft a sequel that could be considered an early example of "true crime" writing. While fictional and set in Paris, the story closely paralleled every aspect and character of a real murder in New York City that had horrified the entire city.

During the summer of 1841, the body of a young woman was discovered in the Hudson River, leading to a sensation in New York City newspapers. Poe evidently followed these accounts closely. His story "The Mystery of Marie Roget," featuring his fictional detective Auguste Dupin, presented the facts of the Mary Rogers murder and, through Dupin, Poe's own solution to the crime.

Throughout the early 1840s, Poe continued to write, barely scraping by on his earnings and supporting his young wife, Virginia, and her mother, Maria Clemm. He gained recognition within literary circles but struggled to convert his fame into financial security.

Virginia sadly contracted tuberculosis and she passed away in early 1847, plunging Poe into a deep depression as another cherished young woman left him grieving. Spiritualist and author Mary Gove visited the Poe household during Virginia's final days and described the scene, with Virginia wrapped in her husband's coat, a tortoiseshell cat curled up on her chest, providing her with her only source of warmth. The theme of death, particularly the loss of women dear to him, became a recurring motif in Poe's works. He once wrote, "...the death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world."

Despite these emotional and professional setbacks, Poe persisted in his dream of establishing his own magazine. Critics have suggested that his abrupt courtship of a wealthy widow in late 1848 was a calculated move to secure funding for his magazine, rather than a genuine romantic interest. The engagement was ultimately called off, some say during a violent altercation between a heavily intoxicated Poe and his frightened prospective bride. As Poe entered his final year, it would be marked by both moments of joy and deep mysteries.

In the summer of 1849, Edgar Allan Poe found himself once again striving to raise funds for the launch of his literary journal. This time, he embarked on a series of lectures that showcased not only his poetry and fiction but also his critiques and analyses of other literary works.

His lecture circuit brought him back to Richmond in mid-July, where he apparently rekindled a romance with a childhood sweetheart, Elmira Shelton. Their engagement was met with enthusiasm, and they began making plans for an October wedding.

In late August, perhaps at Elmira's request, Poe joined the Sons of Temperance, taking a pledge of abstinence from alcohol. In the following month, he wrote affectionately to Maria Clemm, whom he continued to support financially, expressing his deep feelings for Elmira:

"...I think [Elmira] loves me more devotedly than any one I ever knew, and I cannot help loving her in return. [I may] get married before I start [on my next trip] — but there is no telling. The papers here are praising [my lectures] to death — and I have been received everywhere with enthusiasm."

As the autumn of 1849 began, Poe was in high spirits. He was sober, receiving acclaim for his lecture tour, and engaged to marry his childhood love. On September 27, 1849, he departed from Richmond, likely believing that his troubles were behind him and that he would soon reap the rewards of his hard work. Friends who saw him off that day reported that he was in good spirits, promising to return to Richmond very soon.

Poe's apparent happiness during this time makes the subsequent events all the more perplexing and inexplicable. His travel plans dictated that he would leave Richmond on September 27 and arrive in Baltimore the following day to board a train. It is confirmed that he did take the boat to Baltimore and he did indeed arrive there on September 28th. His itinerary was to continue to Philadelphia for a business appointment and then proceed to New York City to meet with Maria Clemm. Together, they would travel back to Richmond in preparation for the impending wedding.

However, Poe would never make it to his appointment in Philadelphia, and Maria Clemm would never saw him alive again. After disembarking from the boat in Baltimore on September 28th, there is no clear record of his activities or movements until October 3rd when Joseph Walker encountered a man who appeared to be in distress and in need of immediate assistance at Ryan’s Tavern in Baltimore.

Edgar Allan Poe's final days are shrouded in mystery and controversy. It is widely known that Poe struggled with alcoholism throughout his life, which sometimes led him to periods of abstinence but also brought about episodes of heavy drinking, particularly during the extended illness of his beloved wife, Virginia. His struggles with alcohol were well-documented, including an earlier arrest for public drunkenness.

One chilling account from a contemporary, as cited by author Charles Bonner, paints a grim picture of Poe's demise: "Edgar A. Poe died in town here at the hospital from the effects of a debauch. Some companion here seduced him to the bottle — [and] the consequence was fever, delirium, and madness, and in a few days a termination of his sad career in the hospital."

Dr. Moran, the physician who attended to Poe during his final days, sent a letter to Maria Clemm, Poe's former mother-in-law, assuming she was already aware that Poe had succumbed to alcohol-related issues. In his letter, Dr. Moran described Poe's condition upon admission to the hospital. Poe was initially unconscious, and when he regained consciousness, he was unable to provide coherent answers about his family, residence, or relatives. Dr. Moran noted Poe's mention of a wife in Richmond, though this was likely a reference to Elmira Shelton rather than Virginia Poe. Poe's state of inebriation made it difficult to extract meaningful information from him.

Dr. Moran did not mention Poe's mysterious utterance of "Reynolds" on his deathbed, a puzzle that has never been solved.

The reference to a trunk mentioned in Dr. Moran's letter adds another layer of intrigue. John Evangelist Walsh's book "Midnight Dreary — The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe" reported that the trunk was later recovered from a local hotel but contained no clues about Poe's activities in his final days. Why Poe left his luggage at a Baltimore hotel when he was supposedly just catching a train deepens the mystery.

Dr. Moran's remarks about Poe's clothing further complicate the puzzle. You see, the clothing Poe was wearing when he had been discovered by Joseph Walker did not match the cloths he had worn from Richmond. The assumption was that Poe, during a final drinking binge, had either sold his clothing for more liquor, swapped it for someone else's for some inexplicable reason, or, as Dr. Snodgrass theorized, had been "robbed of his clothing."

Adding to this mystery, some have argued that Poe may have died from complications of an illness. Poe himself had written to Maria Clemm in the summer of 1849, expressing his severe illness and even suggesting that he might die soon. A nurse who attended Virginia Poe during her final illness believed that Poe had some form of brain disease. These illnesses, along with Poe's frail health and weakened state, have led some scholars to propose that they could have contributed to his death in combination with his alcohol consumption. Some even suggested, in 1996, that certain symptoms at the time of his death could indicate he had somehow contracted rabies, a suggestion, I myself am more than dubious about.

The change in Poe's clothing, however, gave rise to a more sinister theory: that Poe's death was not accidental but the result of foul play.

The theory that Edgar Allan Poe may have fallen victim to a practice known as "cooping" has been suggested by some to explain his mysterious demise. So let me explain this term, "cooping" was an illegal method employed during elections, whereby gangs would forcibly abduct citizens from the streets, confine them in cellars, also known as coops, subject them to threats and abuse, rob them, and ply them with alcohol or drugs until they were stupefied and rendered helpless. These coerced individuals were then brought to polling stations, often multiple times, to vote for a particular candidate, tilting the election results in favor of the desired party. In many instances victims of this practice were dressed in different cloths each time they were brought to vote, an effort to fool election officials at the polling place.

According to accounts from the mid-19th century, cooping was a prevalent and nefarious practice during election seasons. Some proponents of this theory suggest that Poe may have been targeted by one of these gangs. The assumption is that he was abducted, plied with alcohol, possibly robbed, and forced to vote repeatedly. However, the primary intent of "cooping" was not necessarily to kill, but to manipulate the election. Poe's death, if related to "cooping," would have been an unintended consequence of the abuse he had endured.

John Walsh, an author who has explored the circumstances of Poe's death, refutes the "cooping" theory by citing articles from a contemporary Baltimore newspaper. These articles described the October 3rd election as having passed without disturbances at the polls or elsewhere, and the police docket also indicated a lack of significant incidents.

Instead, Walsh proposes a different theory, drawing on information provided by Elizabeth Oakes Smith, a 19th-century poet who personally knew Poe. According to Smith, Poe had been brutally beaten by an individual seeking to retrieve letters Poe had withheld. This violent attack led to a brain fever, and Poe's friends accompanied him to Baltimore, his native city, where he eventually succumbed to his injuries. Smith's account implies that the violence against Poe occurred before he left Richmond for Baltimore.

However, Smith's narrative presents its own set of questions and discrepancies. She suggests that Poe was already injured before leaving Richmond, yet accounts from those who encountered him the day before his departure paint a different picture of his health and demeanor. Furthermore, the timeline of Poe's movements after reaching Baltimore remains elusive, as he disappeared for several days before his death.

Dr. Snodgrass, who had initially attended to Poe at the tavern and later at the hospital, denied Smith's claims of external violence. He asserted that there was no evidence of such abuse on Poe's person, which would have been apparent upon examination.

Walsh's theory differs from Smith's story. He speculates that Poe, having embarked on a journey to Philadelphia for business and then to meet with Elmira Shelton, encountered Elmira's brothers in Philadelphia. These brothers, disapproving of Poe's reputation and intentions toward their sister, confronted him, leading to a violent altercation. In this scenario, the violence inflicted on Poe in Baltimore could have been a consequence of his earlier encounter with Elmira's brothers.

The exact circumstances of Poe's death remain an enduring mystery, and theories regarding the events leading to his demise continue to captivate the imagination of scholars and enthusiasts alike.

The circumstances surrounding Edgar Allan Poe's death remain one of literature's most enduring mysteries. To this day, the exact cause of his death, the identity of the mysterious "Reynolds," and how he spent those five "lost" days from September 28 to October 3, 1849, remain unanswered questions.

Poe's demise is a subject of speculation and numerous theories. Some believe that his struggles with alcoholism and the possible effects of that disease, such as delirium tremens or a shaking frenzy, may have contributed to his death. Others have suggested that he may have suffered from an illness, such as rabies, tuberculosis, or a brain-related condition. The theory of "cooping," a practice involving the forced abduction and manipulation of individuals during elections, has also been proposed as a possible cause of his death. Yet another theory suggests that Poe encountered violence, possibly related to a personal dispute or altercation.

The mysterious utterance of "Reynolds" on Poe's deathbed has never been definitively explained. It remains a cryptic element of the enigma surrounding his final moments.

Edgar Allan Poe's fame and influence in the mystery and horror genres have endured long after his death. His works have inspired countless writers, filmmakers, and creators, and the Mystery Writers of America honor his legacy with the Edgar Awards, which recognize outstanding works in the mystery genre.

Despite the enduring fascination with Poe's life and death, the circumstances of his passing remain elusive. He was initially buried in an unmarked grave in a Baltimore cemetery shortly after his death, and it was only years later that a marker was placed over his remains, as well as those of his wife, Virginia, and Maria Clemm.

Another mystery surrounding Poe is the annual visitation to his grave on the night of January 19th. Since 1949, a hooded figure has entered the cemetery, leaving roses and cognac at Poe's tombstone. The significance of the cognac remains uncertain, as it does not feature prominently in Poe's works. The identity of the mysterious visitor has never been revealed, and the tradition has continued with the passing of the torch to others.

While scholars, historians, and medical experts have presented various theories about Poe's death, the truth behind these secrets remain to this day. 

We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows.

Resources: 

Edgar Allan Poe. (2023, October 14). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe

Barzun, J., Cestre, C., & Mabbott, T. O. (2023, October 7). Edgar Allan Poe | Biography, Poems, Short Stories, & Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edgar-Allan-Poe

Edgar Allan Poe. (2023, August 11). Biography. https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/edgar-allan-poe

Edgar Allan Poe | Poetry Foundation. (n.d.). Poetry Foundation. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/edgar-allan-poe

Stephens, H. (2022, January 19). Intriguing Facts About Edgar Allan Poe | Mental Floss. Mental Floss. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/649418/edgar-allan-poe-facts

Death of Edgar Allan Poe. (2023, October 17). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Edgar_Allan_Poe

Pruitt, S. (2023, September 12). The Riddle of Edgar Allan Poe’s Death. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/news/how-did-edgar-allan-poe-die

Why Edgar Allan Poe’s Death Remains a Mystery. (2023, February 2). Biography. https://www.biography.com/authors-writers/edgar-allan-poe-death

The Mystery of Edgar Allan Poe’s Death (U.S. National Park Service). (n.d.). https://www.nps.gov/articles/poe-death.htm

Edgar Allan Poe’s greatest mystery was his death. (2019, January 19). PBS NewsHour. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/edgar-allan-poes-greatest-mystery-was-his-death

Poe’s Final Mystery Remains Unsolved. (2014, October 8). https://poemuseum.org/poes-final-mystery-remains-unsolved/

Serena, K. (2022, September 16). Edgar Allan Poe’s Death And The Mysterious Story Behind It. All That’s Interesting. https://allthatsinteresting.com/how-did-edgar-allan-poe-die