Man Leaves Half-Bottle Of Cognac, Three Roses
POSTED: 11:53 a.m. EST January 19, 2003
BALTIMORE -- Early Sunday morning, an anonymous man crept into a downtown Baltimore cemetery and toasted the birthday of Edgar Allan Poe by leaving a half-empty bottle of cognac and three red roses at Poe's grave.
The tradition has been documented since the 100th anniversary of Poe's death in 1949.
Poe Museum curator Jeff Jerome said the man this year braved freezing temperatures and eluded dozens of people waiting out on the street.
The visitor appeared at about 3:30 a.m., his face hidden beneath a dark, hooded jacket. He bowed briefly before the grave, deposited the flowers and cognac and then disappeared back into the darkness.
The three flowers are thought to be for Poe, his wife, Virginia, and his mother-in-law, all of whom are buried in the cemetery. The meaning behind the cognac is a mystery.
From WBAL-TV Baltimore
7:52:09 PM 
|
