Edgar Allan Poe's 'toaster' a no-show again on writer's birthday

BALTIMORE - People from around the world made the pilgrimage to Baltimore to celebrate the 202nd birthday of Edgar Allan Poe and to see if last year's no-show of the writer's "toaster" was just a one-time occurance. They were once again disappointed.

According to several Twitter posts, many people spent the night at the cemetary where Poe's grave is located on Centre Street in the western part of Downtown Baltimore last night. They weathered the cold and rain in hopes of seeing "Poe's Toaster" arrive and leave roses and cognac in honor of Poe. Reportedly about a dozen stayed until 5 AM waiting to no avail. They were then allowed to enter the cemetery and leave roses at Poe's grave.

Poe's visitor had delivered the three roses and half-empty bottle of cognac every year for some six decades before not showing up in 2010. Rumors have swirled that the visitor died, but since the toaster remained annonymous, no one is certain what exactly happened.

Usually those waiting each year only saw a person arrive wearing black with a hat. The toaster would usually tip the brim to those on hand.

According to the Associated Press, early on in the vigil, four people apparently did arrive looking like the toaster, but the curator of the Poe museum said they all were imposters. On Tuesday on the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum's Facebook Fan Page, it was asked that if anyone planned to imitate the toaster to not do so.

So the mystery of who Poe's Toaster thickens for the second year in a row as no one showed up. Who the person was may never be solved. And whether anyone else will pick up the tradition themselves is unclear.