Edgar Allan Poe

Original daguerreotype (now lost):
W.S. Hartshorn 1848
Photograph of original:
C.T. Tatman, 1904

Edgar Allan Poe, one of the original masters of mystery and the macabre, is best known for his poems and short stories which frequently deal with madness, murder, and revenge. He was one of the first well-known Americans to attempt to earn a living purely through writing, which might not have worked out so well for him in life. He's also generally credited with inventing the detective story, and helping to popularize the new genre of science fiction.

"The Black Cat"
In which alcohol drives a man to murder, but is haunted and revealed by the titular cat.