A Grave Interest Celebrates Its 2nd Blog-a-versary

WOW!! Time passes so quickly!  I began this blog on February 1^st, 2011 as a good reason to ‘haunt’ cemeteries ; )  But it’s grown from something fun to do, to a passion. 

Mapping Cemeteries

I can no longer go anywhere without checking to see how many cemeteries there are along the way and where they are located.  A trip to Cincinnati or St Louis takes twice as long now – there has to be stops at cemeteries, both coming and going.

St Michael & the Devil

Mausoleum

Friends now understand when I launch off on a description of the latest stunning statue, quirky name, or interesting mausoleum I’ve found.  Although they may not plan to spend their weekends in the cemetery, many have asked to 'tag along' when I'm heading out to spend the day.

I’ve connected with hundreds of cemetery people doing this. It's  amazing to realize what a large community this is!  I love the fact that this is such an accepting group of people. Cemetery lovers are very willing to share their knowledge.  Or to say, “I don’t know a thing about that.  Can anyone tell me more?”

Over the past two years, I’ve written almost 150 blog posts.  I am appreciative to the over 10,000 people who read these posts each month. Readers are from as far away as India, Russia, and Slovenia, to those in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.

The Grave of Mr Accordion

Grave of a Pet

A Grave Interest has given me a reason to research and write about subjects I’m really fascinated with!  Within the past year, I’ve been able to delve into the lives of poets and musicians, to explore slices of history, to learn more about grave markers, symbols, the cost of dying, superstitions and legends, even pets in the cemetery.

Although it's AGI's 2nd anniversary, my husband is still shocked that I can continually come up with ideas for more blogs.  (When I started, he wasn’t sure I would find enough to blog about for a year…. ; )  But the cemeteries offer up so many ideas and opportunities for subjects to explore.  And you, the reader, propose ideas with your questions, and offer wonderful suggestions. (I’m already filling the 2014 calendar with ideas….)

Hidden Graves

One of the most popular posts for the past year dealt with Central State Hospital, better known as the Indiana Insane Asylum and the adjacent cemetery http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com/2012/10/central-state-hosptial-indiana-insane.html.  The hospital buildings are now abandoned and the cemetery lay in disrepair, a sad testament to those who passed through those doors.

Digging a Grave By Hand

Another well-liked post was about the High Cost of Dying http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com/2012/03/high-cost-of-dying-traditional-funeral.html.  An average funeral in the US runs about $8,000, and that does not include the cemetery costs and other 'incidentals'.  As my grandfather used to say, "Death is not for the faint-of heart".

The Big Bopper

Buddy Holly

And the most popular post for the past year - The Day the Music Died http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com/2012/02/day-music-died.html. This post took a look back at the plane crash that killed three men who have been called the most promising stars of rock and roll -  J.P. Richardson – the Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens, and Buddy Holly.

Gothic Mausoleum

Skull & Crossbones on Stone

And, of course, the October haunted cemeteries series are always “frightfully fun”!  I love doing these!  This past year, I went to Chicago’s Resurrection Cemetery, the Indianapolis Insane Asylum cemetery, Spring Grove in Cincinnati, and Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur, searching for special haunts.

Facebook Cemetery Groups

I have found that it doesn’t matter how you become involved in the cemetery community, whether you’re a photographer, a tombstone tourist, a genealogist, a writer, a sexton, or a blogger, you will discover that there are Facebook groups, blogs, and web sites where you can share photos, ideas, and insights.  One reason I believe this community is so approachable is an understanding that, “We all have a deep respect for the past, and, let's face it, we all know where it’s gonna end…”

So, as I begin another year, I'd like to thank you for your kind suggestions, words, and deeds in helping make A Grave Interest so much fun, and so successful!  And also for following on Blogger, http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com and Twitter, https://twitter.com/aGraveInterest and “Liking” on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Grave-Interest.

Now, let’s cut that cemetery cake and get ready for A Grave Interest year!!

~ Joy

Al Capone – Chicago Gangster

 

Alphonse Gabriel Capone

January was always an interesting month in his life; it was one hundred fourteen years ago this month that he was born, ninety-three years ago that Prohibition was enacted, and sixty-six years since the death of Al Capone, Chicago gangster.

Al and his mother, Teresa

He was born Alphonse Gabriel Capone on January 17, 1899 in Brooklyn, New York.  His parents, Gabriele and Teresina Capone, were Italian immigrants.   Gabriele Capone worked as a barber, and Teresa was a seamstress. Capone was one of nine children.  He dropped out of school at the age of fourteen and was heavily influenced by New York gangster, Johnny Torrio.

Five Points Gang

Capone started with small time gangs but quickly moved up to Torrio’s Five Points Gang.  This group, made up of Italian-American men and boys, was based in the Sixth Ward (Lower Manhattan) of New York City.  It was during this time that Capone suffered the three slashes on his face that earned him the name, ”Scarface.”

Mae Josephine Capone

Capone's Chicago Home

Capone married Mae Josephine Coughlin on December 30, 1918, one month after their first son, Albert Francis Capone, was born.  Shortly after, Capone moved to Chicago. In 1923, he purchased a house for his family in the Chicago neighborhood of Park Manor.

Johnny Torrio

Johnny Torrio recruited Capone and moved him to Illinois in 1919 for potential Chicago “business opportunities.”  With Prohibition now law, Chicago offered gangsters a great opportunity for “bootlegging” – smuggling illegal alcohol - into the city. 

Al Capone "The Boss"

Downtown Chicago in the 1920's

Capone organized Chicago’s underworld and quickly made the town his own.  In 1925, Torrio handed over the reigns of “The Outfit” to Capone. During Prohibition, with Capone as the crime boss, the Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate, and the Chicago Mob, made over $100-million dollars per year in revenues from gambling, prostitution, racetracks, night clubs, and the sale of alcohol. (The Chicago Outfit is still in existence.)

Chicago Mayor, William Thompson

Capone’s gang operated casinos and speakeasies throughout the city with the bribed blessings of Chicago Mayor, William “Big Bill” Hale Thompson.

St Valentine's Day Massacre

The 1929 Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, where seven rival gang members were gunned down in a garage, has been attributed to Capone’s order, but facts to substantiate that were never proven.  When questioned, Capone had an alibi – he was at his house in Palm Island, Florida.

Soup Kitchen, courtesy of Capone

Capone understood the benefit of a good PR campaign. He acquired media attention by opening soup kitchens for the poor, and providing clothing to those who could not afford them, providing assistance at his expense.  The way Capone saw it; he was “just a businessman, giving the people what they want." And, because of the effects of Prohibition and the Great Depression, the public wanted to believe him.

In 1930, Capone was named as Chicago’s “Public Enemy Number One.”

Capone's Arrest Record

Capone's Mug Shot

Prohibition agent, Eliot Ness, was intent on convicting Capone on bootlegging charges, but never could.  In 1931, Ness settled on arresting Capone for income tax evasion.  Following a long and corrupt trial, Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison.  He was first sent to the Atlanta Penitentiary, and then moved to the Lincoln Heights Jail in L.A. On August 11, 1934 he was sent to "The Rock" - Alcatraz.

Capone's Cell

Alcatraz Sign

Capone spent the last year of his sentence in the prison hospital, dealing with the disabling effects of syphilis.  He was released from Alcatraz on January 6, 1939, and sent to the Federal Correctional Institution on Terminal Island in California to serve a one-year sentence for contempt of court.

Capone Before Release

Death of Capone Reported

Capone’s reign as Chicago’s lead crime boss was over.  Capone returned to his home on Palm Island, in Florida after prison.  His physical and mental health deteriorated to that of a 12-year-old child. On January 21, 1947, he suffered a stroke. The next day, January 22, 1947 Al Capone suffered a fatal heart attack and died. He was 48 years old.

Original Family Stone

Capone's Grave at Mt Carmel Cemetery

Capone was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery on Chicago’s South Side, along side his father and brother, Frank.  In 1950, all three were moved to Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillsdale, Illinois.

 

Al Capone was, and continues to be, one of the most notorious gangsters of the 20^th Century.

~ Joy

The Poe Toaster: Nevermore…

Edgar Allan Poe

Poe's Monument

Tomorrow will be the 204th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday, and most probably the fourth year in a row that the Poe Toaster has failed to appear. What began in the late forties, became an annual tradition for 60 years, but now it appears to be over.

The Poe Toaster?

Martell Cognac

Every year since the late forties, (some say the 1930’s), a mysterious figure dressed in black, with a white scarf and wide brimmed hat, appeared in the early morning hours to visit Poe’s grave.  The man would always leave three red roses, one for Poe, his wife, Virginia, and her mother, Maria Clemm, all buried there. He had been known to leave notes at the grave, one that said simply, “Edgar, I haven’t forgotten you.”  Then he would pour a glass of Martell cognac, toast the writer, and leave the half empty bottle of cognac on Poe’s grave. Who was he?  It’s a mystery quite befitting Poe - one that has not been solved.

Boston Harbor

Fitting, for Edgar Allan Poe lived a life of mystery.  He was born in Boston on January 19, 1809 to actors.  His father, David Poe, Jr., abandoned the family one year later.  His mother, Elizabeth Arnold Hopkins Poe, died of tuberculosis when he was two years old.  Poe was taken in and raised by John and Frances Allan of Richmond, Virginia.

Tamerlane & Other Poems

Poe attended college for one semester, and went to West Point for a short time.  A collection of his poems, Tamerlane and Other Poems, were published anonymously in 1827.  For several years, Poe wrote for literary journals and periodicals that published his works.  In 1835, he began working for the Southern Literary Messenger in Richmond, Virginia.

The Raven

In 1845, Poe’s poem, The Raven, was published and became an immediate success.  His themes of death and the macabre electrified readers.  Other famous works included The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Tell-Tale Heart. Poe is given credit for writing the first modern detective story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue.

Virginia Clemm Poe

Poe married his 13-year-old first cousin, Virginia Eliza Clemm on September 22, 1835.  It is thought that Edgar and Virginal had a relationship more in keeping as that of a brother and sister, than husband and wife. 

Several of Poe’s writings are said to be about Virginia.  The most popular is the poem, Annabel Lee, where it's believed she was the inspiration for the main character.  The poem, Lenore was also inspired by Virginia, as was the short story, Eleonora. 

Virginia's Grave

Virginia began to show signs of consumption in 1842.  As the disease progressed, she became an invalid, and Poe began to drink heavily. Virginia died of tuberculosis on January 30, 1847 in New York.  She was 24. After her death, Poe’s behavior became even more erratic and unstable.

Washington College Hospital

Poe in 1849

On October 3, 1849, Poe was discovered wandering the streets of Baltimore, wearing someone else’s clothes and "in great distress, and... in need of immediate assistance", according to Joseph W. Walker, the man who found him.  Poe was taken to Washington College Hospital but was never coherent long enough to tell anyone what had happened to him.  Edgar Allan Poe died on October 7, 1849 at the age of 40. 

Written by a rival- Rufus Griswold

But even in death, mystery surrounded him.  It was never known for sure what caused Poe’s death because the medial records and his death certificate have been lost. Rumors as to the cause of his death include, alcoholism, heart congestion, cholera, syphilis, rabies, brain disease, even suicide.

Westminster Burial Grounds

Poe's Stone

Poe was buried in Westminster Hall and Burial Grounds in his grandfather’s lot, but was moved to a more prominent spot in 1875.   On January 19, 1885 the remains of his wife Virginia, were exhumed and buried next to Poe’s.  Then, in the late forties, the Poe Toaster began his annual pilgrimage.  His visits were first mentioned in passing in the Evening Sun of Baltimore Newspaper in 1950.

Tell-Tale Heart

Over 160 years after his death, people are still haunted by Poe’s writings, understanding that the suffering of his characters blended with his own personal torment and angst. 

Poe's House & Museum

Several of the homes he lived in have been preserved and are now museums, including the Poe House and Museum* in Baltimore, where the Poe Toaster made his yearly pilgrimages to Poe’s grave. The Toaster could arrive any time between midnight and 5:30 A.M. on Poe’s birthday. Although museum curator, Jeff Jerome has held a vigil for the Poe Toaster each January 19^th since the late 1970’s, he says he does not know who the Toaster was.

A note from 1993 says, “The torch will be passed.”  In 1999 another note left at the grave declared that the original toaster had died in 1998, and his son would be continuing the tradition.

The Toaster’s last official visit to Poe’s grave was January 19, 2009, 150 years after Poe’s death, and the 200^th Anniversary of Poe’s birth.  Fans have continued to wait for the Toaster for the past three years; on January 19^th, 2010, again in 2011, and finally, last year, declared that if he did not appear in 2012, the tradition was officially over.

And so it appears we may never know who the Poe Toaster was, nor what influence Poe had on his life to keep him coming back each year to celebrate the writer’s birthday.  

But there are so few mysteries left in this world, I for one, would like to think his identity is safe with the ages, even if his visits shall be Nevermore…

~ Joy

* Please note: The Poe House and Museum is currently closed to the public until some time in late 2013. Find out more on their Facebook page @ https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Edgar-Allan-Poe-House-Museum/10150113128020459?ref=mf

For more on Poe visit The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore @ www.eapoe.org