Edgar Allan Poe's name is one everyone’s heard, and most have read. He has engaged readers with his mysteries since the early 19th century. One of the most well-known fiction writers of all time, Poe’s legacy focused on engaging puzzles. Which makes his death somewhat ironic, as no one knows how the writer passed away. His death came as a surprise in 1849, and though there have been several theories explaining his death, it has remained a mystery to this day.
The Streets of Baltimore
His medical records, including his death certificate have been lost for more than a century. But we do know that on October 3, 1849, the writer was found delirious wearing someone else’s clothes on the streets of Baltimore. Poe asked for help from his close friend, Joseph E. Snodgrass, but was taken to the hospital where he died on October 7, at age 40. So, how did he die? How did he end up on the streets of Baltimore dressed in someone else’s clothing?
Brain Injury & Poisoning
A week before his death, Poe traveled from Virginia to Philadelphia to edit a collection of poems. He never made it there, or back to New York City for that matter. What did end up happening was that the writer found himself in Baltimore, incoherent, wearing a stranger’s clothing. The theories surrounding Poe’s experience in Baltimore include a beating by street thugs that led to brain injury and carbon monoxide poisoning. Other ideas include heavy metal poisoning, murder, rabies, and illness. Poe’s death will always be a mystery, in fact, it’s almost as if he wrote it himself.