What Happened to Edgar Allen Poe? Ever wondered how the famous writer “Edgar Allen Poe” died? Some say that it was caused by alcoholism and others thought it was because of rabies. I believe that it will never be known and forever will be a mystery. Over the years many people tried to decipher the cause of his death; in articles, biographies, and letters. Poe’s death will remain unsolved because there we weren’t there when he died so it wouldn’t be a way to know and neither authors couldn’t really prove that he died of their cause. First, it is stated in the biography that Poe was delirious while he was with his friend Moran and he also was put into a room in the hospital for drunks. Although this supports the idea of him dying of alcoholism;