Was Edgar Allan Poe’s death an act of foul play? Or was it caused by alcohol? Cooping, perhaps? Whatever the cause of Edgar Allan Poe’s early death, his work, and theories over how he died have become ingrained into pop culture. Poe’s work and public image are directly tied to the mysterious way he died. The mystery started in 1849 when Joseph Walker, a printer, came across Poe disheveled on the street. Walker reached out to Joseph Snodgrass, an editor Poe was familiar with, about Poe’s current state at the author’s request (Popular Mechanics). Officially, Poe is said to have died due to congestion of the brain over a week later while hospitalized, but not every theory supports this conclusion. 

Some suggest that Poe died from tuberculosis instead, the same sickness that took his wife Virginia. The main evidence supporting this is that Poe would have been exposed to it. Additionally, his feverish behavior and reported delusions match the symptoms of tuberculosis (Popular Mechanics). Poe was also found outside a tavern, though, which lent further proof to the theory that he died from alcohol consumption which in turn caused the congestion of the brain listed as his official cause of death. This, however, disregards the fact that Poe was a part of the Temperance movement at the time. Another popular theory is that he died from the effects of cooping, the practice of forcing people to commit voter fraud multiple times for a certain candidate. In the process, Poe could have been mentally and physically abused while being forced to accept false identities (Popular Mechanics). This would also act as an explanation for what caused his unexplained disappearance prior to being found by Joseph Walker, as Poe was unaccounted for for a couple days before the printer came upon him. Additionally, the tavern by which he was found was a polling place hosting vote collectors. Poe could have been made to accept a drink every time he entered a new tavern, explaining his deliriousness. It’s impossible to ask Poe what happened or the doctor who was treating him when he died, but maybe one day we will be able to answer the question: What really happened to Edgar Allan Poe? 

Chloe Erno, Staff Writer

Chloe Erno is a staff writer for the 2023-2024 Colonel Newsmagazine. She is also a part of the marching band and Inner Visions. She likes dogs and has two named Bella and Sadie. She enjoys drawing and writing in her free time.