The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-17
BLOODY TRAGEDY
 ACT 0F A MADMAN Educator Suddenly Goes Mad
 and Attacks Family KILLS HIMSELF AT ONCE Financial Losses Preyed On His Mind Until It Gave Way While He Is
 With Wife and Daughter
 at Dinner.

| Redding Conn.,, November 16.--(Special) | Lucien Marcus Underwood, professor of i botany in Columbia university. suddenly went mad today after breeding for a week over financial losses in Wall street and tried to kill his wife and daughter
 with knife. After inhicting gash in Mrs. Underwood's throat that may cause her death and attempting repeatedly to
 plunge the weapon into his daughter
 heart, he stabbed himself behind the right
 ear and died almost at once. In a moments time the quiet grave pro- lessor was transformed into a raving
 maniac His fit of insanity came while he was sitting eating luncheon. His weapon was a sharp, wide-bladed carving knife.
 Mrs. Underwood has a bare chance Of recovery. The daughters close escape was shown later when it was discovered
 that her dress was slashed to shreds.
 Neither had any warning of the out break That they got away alive from his mad attack is marvellous. Professor Underwood lost considerable part of his savings in unfortunate invest ments recently, it Is said. He came to
 his home here from New York Monday
 mentally depressed and complaining of physical stress Since then he did not leave the house.
 This morning he seemed to feel better when he rose, but his reading of the details of Charles T. Barney's suicide In New York upon which he commented af- fected him. His attitude, however, was far from violent. He was merely sad l and breeding.
 You are looking better, Marcus" the professors wife said to him as she and the daughter joined him at the luncheon | table Yes, I feel somewhat relieved.' he re- | piled.
 Suddenly, as dessert was about to be served Professor Underwood gazed at 1 in his eyes. His hand reached out steathily for the long, keen knife, which | he had used few minutes before to carve the roast they had been eating. | He did not grab for the knife, the wom- en say. He stretched his hand for 1t | slowly as if he did not want to at tract their attention. They said nothing but sat watching him uneasily. Suddenly he gripped the knife, whirled | it above his head and leaped from his chair. He uttered some exclamation, which the frightened women did not understand.
 "Lucen! Lucien! What is the matter?' his wife cried.
 | The insane man did not answer. He threw one arm about his wife while she struggled. drew the sharp blade across her throat. Then he ran at his | daugh ter, who frantic with fear, was | trying to rush from the room He barred her passage to the door and slashed at her, trying to plunge | the weapon into her heart. It was only the heroism of the mother that 1 saved her. Weak and bleeding as sh e was, Mrs. Underwood got up from the l floor where she had fallen, and grasping the arm welding the knife l threw her whole weight upon it. This restrained the madman.
 | As the daughter escaped. dragging ! her mother from the room where the professor was. he plunged the weapon | twice into his own neck just behind | the ear. He fell to the floor, the knife | ciattering on the hard wood. Mrs. Underwood and her daughter l managed to get out of the house and | then the mother dropped unconscious | Dr. Wright of Bethel was summoned | also Dr. Brownlee of Danbury, who |