10 Enduring Theories About Edgar Allen Poe And His Mysterious Death

Before he went missing, Poe was on a trip from Richmond to New York City, on his way to marry Elmira Shelton. He never made it.

By Daniel Bonfiglio

Published 3 months ago in Wow

On October 3rd, 1849, Edgar Allen Poe was found in a delirious state outside of Gunner's Hall Tavern in Baltimore. He had been missing for the past week, and was wearing someone else's tattered clothes. Four days later, on October 7th, Poe died at the age of 40 in Washington College Hospital.

The iconic American author received no autopsy, and the only account of his final days comes from his doctor, John Joseph Moran. As a result, the cause of Poe's death is unknown, and the theories range from sickness, to kidnapping, to murder.

Before he went missing, Poe was on a trip from Richmond to New York City, on his way to marry Elmira Shelton. He never made it.

When Poe was found in Baltimore, he requested help from magazine editor Joseph E. Snodgrass, although that might have been a poor decision. Snodgrass sent him to Moran, and the pair repeatedly altered their stories in the subsequent years, each for apparent personal gain.

Poe's literary estate fell to Rufus Wilmot Griswold, a former rival, and Wilmot used the opportunity to drag Poe's reputation in a future biography. Much of Poe's modern perception comes from this account, and is thus likely incorrect.

Edgar Allen Poe's death is equal parts tragic, and mysterious. Here are 10 possible reasons why it happened.

1
Poe was found on a voting day, wearing dirty and tattered clothes. This led many to believe he was a victim of cooping, a form of fraud where men were kidnapped, and forced to vote multiple times using different outfits.

2
One of the more common theories is tuberculosis. Poe’s first wife Virginia succumbed to the disease, and Poe was frequently exposed. His journey, mental state, and other illnesses likely contributed to its spread.

3
An analysis by the Maryland Medical Journal in 1996 suggested that Poe succumbed to rabies, possibly contracted from his pets. This would also explain Poe’s delirious state directly preceding his death.
4
Before Poe died, he went to magazine editor Joseph E. Snodgrass for help. Snodgrass claims that Poe was in a “state of beastly intoxication” when he arrived at the hospital, however it seems likely that Snodgrass used this narrative as an opportunity to push his personal temperance agenda.

5
In 1848, one year before his death, Poe overdosed on laudanum - a common pain killer of the time. It is unclear whether that incident was accidental or intentional, but at the very least it points to Poe’s delicate mental state at the time. It is impossible to rule out a self-inflicted overdose in 1849, but considering the circumstances, it seems unlikely.
6
A brain tumor might explain Poe’s distress, delirium, and ultimate demise. There is an account of a mass on Poe’s head after his death.
7
Historian John Evangelist Walsh claimed in his book that Poe fell victim to a plot orchestrated by the Shelton brothers; his future brother-in-laws. Walsh claims that the brothers thought of Poe as a gold digger to their sister, and intentionally liquored him up to discredit his name, leading to his death.

8
Poe was infected with Cholera during an early 1949 Philadelphia outbreak, and wrote about his illness. It is possible the disease lingered longer than he realized.
9
A 2006 sample of Poe’s hair determined it is possible he suffered from both lead poisoning and mercury poisoning. However, this could have been a general function of the time, and not something with levels high enough to drastically influence his health.
10
Poe was described as “very sick” by his soon to be wife the night before he disappeared, and it could be that a simple bad case of the flu, or pneumonia, was enough to do it.