The Beautiful Cigar Girl

            The unsolved mystery of Mary Rogers was made famous through the writing of Edgar Allan Poe.  At the age of 17, Mary had taken a job at a tobacco store following the death of her father.  In 1841, she disappeared and her body was pulled from the Hudson River.  The media created many theories: Mary’s fiancé was to blame, gangs were responsible, and some even thought that Mary was still alive.  The only break in the investigation came when bloody clothes were found near an abortion advocate’s house, leading some to think that Mary needed her services before her disappearance.  The case remains unsolved, but Mary’s ghost has allegedly been seen twice since her disappearance.  Her story fascinated Poe in such a way that he felt inspired, resulting in “The Mystery of Marie Roget.”