The Final Mysterious Days
In June of 1849, Poe left New York and went
to Philadelphia, where he visited his friend
John Sartain. Poe left Philadelphia in July and
came to Richmond. He stayed at the Swan
Tavern Hotel but joined "The Sons of
Temperance" in an effort to stop drinking. He
renewed a boyhood romance with Sarah
Royster Shelton and planned to marry her in
October.
On September 27, Poe left Richmond for New
York. He went to Philadelphia and stayed with
a friend named James P. Moss. On September
30, he meant to go to New York but
supposedly took the wrong train to Baltimore.
On October 3, Poe was found at Gunner's Hall,
a public house at 44 East Lombard Street, and
was taken to the hospital. He lapsed in and
out of consciousness but was never able to
explain exactly what happened to him. Edgar
Allan Poe died in the hospital on Sunday,
October 7, 1849.
The mystery surrounding Poe's death has led
to many myths and urban legends. The cause
of his death still remains a mystery. Certain
facts (described on the next page) have since
come to light and, to an extent, do shed some
light on the unfortunate and mysterious end
of an extraordinary literary mind.
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