Edgar Allan Poe, a literary figure synonymous with macabre genius, lived a life tragically cut short and marked by considerable unhappiness. The death of his young wife, Virginia, from tuberculosis in 1847, following her initial diagnosis in 1842, seemed to exacerbate Poe’s existing struggles with alcohol. The circumstances surrounding his own death just two years later remain one of literature’s most enduring mysteries, fueling speculation and debate for over a century.
In the late summer of 1849, Poe was in Richmond, Virginia, where he rekindled a romance with Elmira Shelton, even proposing marriage. On September 27, 1849, he departed Richmond, ostensibly en route to Philadelphia. However, the ensuing days are shrouded in uncertainty. Details of his movements and whereabouts are vague, but on October 3rd, Poe was discovered in Baltimore, Maryland, slumped near an Irish pub by a passerby.
When Dr. Joseph Snodgrass, a friend of Poe, arrived, he found the 40-year-old author in a state that appeared to be extreme intoxication. Adding to the perplexing scene, Poe was wearing clothes that were cheap, ill-fitting, and strikingly different from his typically meticulous attire. Admitted to Washington College Hospital, Poe drifted in and out of consciousness. He died in the early hours of October 7th, his last words reportedly being, “Lord help my poor soul.”
The immediate aftermath of Poe’s death deepened the mystery. Notably, no official death certificate was ever filed. A local newspaper report attributed Poe’s death to “congestion of the brain,” which was widely understood to be a euphemism for alcohol poisoning at the time. This initial explanation seemed to align with Poe’s known struggles with alcohol, yet it failed to fully account for the bizarre circumstances surrounding his final days.
Adding another layer of complexity, Rufus Griswold, Poe’s literary rival, penned a scathing obituary shortly after his death. Griswold portrayed Poe as a morally corrupt, perpetually drunk womanizer. Because Griswold also became Poe’s first biographer, his biased and sensationalized depiction heavily influenced public perception of Poe for many years. Later scholars have since challenged Griswold’s account, arguing that his portrayal of Poe’s alleged debauchery was significantly exaggerated and motivated by personal animosity.
Beyond the initial assumption of alcoholism, historians and biographers have proposed numerous alternative causes for Poe’s demise. These theories range from various medical conditions, including brain lesions, epilepsy, tuberculosis, cholera, and syphilis, to the more exotic possibility of rabies. Each of these medical explanations attempts to reconcile Poe’s symptoms and erratic behavior in his final days with known diseases prevalent during the 19th century.
One particularly intriguing and persistent theory posits that Edgar Allan Poe may have been a victim of “cooping.” Cooping was a disturbingly common practice in Baltimore during that era, especially around election times. Corrupt politicians would employ thugs to kidnap vulnerable men, often those who were down on their luck or homeless. These victims were then drugged, sometimes disguised, and forced to vote repeatedly at different polling locations for the politicians’ chosen candidates. After the elections, these men were often simply abandoned, left to fend for themselves in weakened or injured states.
Proponents of the cooping theory point to several details that align with Poe’s situation. His unfamiliar and ill-fitting clothes could be explained as a disguise used by coopers. Furthermore, citywide elections were indeed held in Baltimore on the day Poe was discovered. The Irish pub near where Poe was found is also significant, as such establishments often served as both bars and makeshift voting stations in that period. This confluence of factors makes cooping a compelling, albeit grim, possibility in the mystery of how Edgar Allan Poe truly died.
In conclusion, the question of “How Did Edgar Allan Poe Die?” remains unanswered definitively. While the initial explanation of alcohol-related “congestion of the brain” and subsequent theories of disease offer potential medical explanations, the “cooping” theory adds a layer of political intrigue and social commentary to the mystery. Despite extensive research and speculation, the precise circumstances surrounding Edgar Allan Poe’s death continue to elude historians, ensuring that his final hours remain as enigmatic and captivating as his literary works.
