The Bizarre Death of EDGAR
ALLAN
POE By The Ghost Scribes It should come as no surprise that the Ghost Scribes are big fans of Edgar Allan Poe. So it is with great reverence for the Master of All Things Creepy that we kick off our inaugural issue with one of the most tantalizing mysteries in literature.
Prologue
Elmira Royster Shelton was at last going to marry her childhood sweetheart, Edgar Allan Poe. During her early years, her parents had objected to their relationship and kept them apart. Now the widowed 39-year-old Elmira would finally have her chance at happiness. The wedding date was set for October 14, 1849. On September 26, Elmira and Poe spent the evening together. Painfully early the next morning, Poe left Richmond on a steamboat bound for Baltimore. His final destination was his home in New York. He intended to be back in Richmond in two weeks for the wedding. In Baltimore, Edgar had plans to board the train for Philadelphia for a quick editing job that would provide a much-need payment of $100. He planned on being in Philadelphia no more than a day or two, which would have him home
5
“There are some secrets that do not permit themselves to be told.” –Edgar Allan Poe, “The Man of the Crowd,” 1840
