Mysterious Visitor Pays Tribute to Poe Undetected

Jan 20, 10:24 AM

Undeterred by controversy, a mysterious visitor paid his annual tribute at the grave of Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore early Saturday, placing three red roses and a half-filled bottle of cognac before stealing away into the darkness.

Nearly 150 people had gathered outside the cemetery of Westminster Presbyterian Church, but the man known as the "Poe toaster" was, as usual, able to avoid being spotted by the crowd, said Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum.

The tribute takes place every Jan. 19 -- the anniversary of Poe's birth.