Poe and His Mysterious Death

One thing that always intrigued me about Edgar Allan Poe's life is how it ended. His death was immensely mysterious. Throughout his life he was a man who struggled with alcohol, and as he grew older the habit consumed him. Poe's last days of life are very questionable and still remain a history over 150 years later. On October 3rd, 1849, when they found Poe's body, he was found intoxicated and delirious on the streets in Baltimore, Maryland. He was soon taken and rushed to Washington College Hospital where he would be treated and where he would later pass away. Only 4 days later, on October 7th, Poe would pass away in the early morning at approximately 5 A.M.. According to his attending physician, Dr John J. Moran, his last words were "Lord, help my soul." Poe was never in the right mind state to tell someone how he got into the position that he did, so the real truth still lingers. There are many theories that revolve around the possibilities of his death. There is the alcohol theory, the theory that he died from medical problems, and there is a theory that he was the victim of cooping. Cooping was a very serious problem during this time in society. Cooping is a type of voter fraud, "Some gangs were known to kidnap innocent bystanders, holding them in a room, called the “coop.” These poor souls were then forced to go in and out of poll after poll, voting over and over again. Their clothing might even be changed to allow for another round" (The Mysterious Death). This is the most widely believed theory due to the fact that Poe was found in clothing that did not belong to him and he was delirious. It is speculated that he was beaten by the political gang, because they were very intimidating and went to great extremes to support their candidate.

Works Cited

"Church Hospital (Site of Poe’s Death)." Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - Baltimore - Church Hospital (Site of Poe's Death). Web. 01 May 2017. 

"The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe." Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore - General Topics - The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe. Web. 01 May 2017.