A mysterious visitor who each year leaves roses and cognac on Edgar Allen Poe’s tomb in Baltimore, Maryland, has missed his rendezvous for the first time in 61 years, the Poe Society said.

“He did not show up this morning,” Jeffrey Savoye, secretary and treasurer of the 380 member society, said.

Each year since 1949 on the 100th anniversary of Poe’s birth, an often-cloaked individual has left a bottle of cognac and a few roses at the foot of Poe’s tomb, usually at night, in tribute to the legendary poet.

“Occasionally he showed up early, like 11:00 to 11:30 the evening before. But normally it’s from midnight to 5:00 am,” Mr Savoye said.

He said around 50 people waited in vain from Tuesday night to watch the “Poe Toaster”, as the visitor has been dubbed.

Many travelled from across the United States for the 201st anniversary of Poe’s birth.

“As far as we know, they have not missed a year until now,” Mr Savoye said.

The original yearly visitor apparently died in 1998, but left the pilgrimage up to his two sons.

“We were left a note some years ago saying that the original toaster had died … We interpreted the message that the torch will be passed… We are assuming that two sons of this person have been carrying it on,” Mr Savoye said.

“We don’t know who they are.”

–AFP