The Many Theories of Edgar Allen Poe’s Death On September 27th, 1849, Poe had left Richmond, VA to Philadelphia, PA to go edit the poems of Mrs. Leon Loud. However, during his travels, something happened in Baltimore, MD. He was found on election day, October 4th, by Joseph Walker near a public polling house, delirious and wearing ragged clothing that was not his own. Walker had sent a letter to Joseph Snodgrass, a magazine editor with some medical training. According to "The (Still) Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe." on Smithsonianmag.com, “…in the four days between Walker finding Poe outside the public house and Poe's death on October 7, he never regained enough consciousness to explain how he had come to be found, in soiled clothes not his own, incoherent on the streets.” Poe’s death has always been a mystery. The real question is how exactly did he die? Why was he found in torn-up clothing and semi-conscious? There are many theories to why he found in that state, the four most popular being beating, …show more content…
This theory also ties in with the theory of cooping. As read on "The (Still) Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe." on Smithsonianmag.com, “…one of the first theories to deviate from either phrenitis or alcohol was published by biographer E. Oakes Smith in her article "Autobiographic Notes: Edgar Allan Poe." "At the instigation of a woman," Smith writes, "who considered herself injured by him, he was cruelly beaten, blow upon blow, by a ruffian who knew of no better mode of avenging supposed injuries. It is well known that a brain fever followed. . . ." Poe could have been invited to drink with some friends, and Poe, not being able to hold his liquor, stumbled into the streets, drunk after a single glass of champagne. Some sources have shown possible ruffians to have some impact on Poe’s death, possibly have robbed and beaten Poe to his end after finding him extremely drunk after a glass of