Poe’s remains are interred next to those of his grandfather General David Poe Sr, the American Civil War hero, in Baltimore cemetery, and every year, on the anniversary of Poe’s birthday on 19 January, fans still assemble for a silent vigil. Every year since 1949 a smartly dressed hooded man leaning on a silver cane has approached Poe’s grave, knelt in respect, toasted the writer with a glass of cognac and left the bottle, along with three red roses, at the graveside. Poe enthusiasts have watched this ritual without ever attempting to identify the stranger. In 1993 a note was also left, stating that ‘the torch will now be passed’, and since then a younger, similarly dressed man has carried out the ritual.
Over time the debate about Poe’s death has served only to make his mystery seem more
