Edgar Allan Poe Died Drunk In A Gutter

The telltale facts suggest rabies instead.

Edgar allan poe died drunk in a gutter.

Hamilton it s a mystery the father of detective fiction may have penned himself. On a dark and stormy election night in 1849 a newspaperman hurrying to ryan s 4 th ward polling place in baltimore came upon a man lying in a gutter outside the public hall. We ve all heard the stories about the death of american writer edgar allan poe. Michael benitez a cardiologist who practices a mere block from the writer s grave says it s true that the master of the macabre was seen in a bar on lombard street on an election day dreary in october 1849 delirious and possibly wearing somebody else s soiled clothes.

As his close friend j. Kennedy wrote on october 10 1849. The attending physician dr. Edgar allan poe didn t die drunk in a baltimore gutter according to the first scientific study of the writer s final days.

Those legends abound and they are apocryphal. William henry leonard poe was edgar s older brother by two years who may also have died of tuberculosis. The writer died at 5 00 a m. Moran reported the cause of death as phrenitis an antiquated term for swelling or congestion of the brain.

On tuesday last edgar a. Edgar allan poe did not die drunk in a gutter in baltimore but rather had rabies a new study suggests. Much of the evidence for this image of poe is believed to have been forged by griswold and though friends of poe denounced it 4 this interpretation had lasting impact. Poe died in town here at the hospital from the effects of a debauch.

Poe died in 1849 in baltimore s washington college hospital after having disappeared for several days. Poe likely died of rabies. He fell in with some companion here. Poe had been seen in a bar on lombard street disheveled and delirious but it is well established that he died in the hospital.

Even though poe was completely addicted to alcohol many times he tried very hard to fight against his alcoholism. Michael benitez a cardiologist who practices a block from poe s. It has never been substantiated that poe was found in the gutter. A hopeless alcoholic poe died at age 40 drunk in a gutter in baltimore a victim of his debauched lifestyle.

Griswold who became the literary executor of poe s estate was actually a rival of poe and later published his first full biography depicting him as a depraved drunk drug addled madman.