The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-11-18
CUTS OWN THROAT
Professor Underwood, of Co., lumbia, Kills Himself at
 Home in Bedding.
FIERCE ATTACK ON WIFE
Loss of Money in Financial Crisis Said to Have Re
 suited in Mania.

insomnia brought on by financial wor ", Lucian NJ. Underwood, professor of botany at Columbia university, yes terday afternoon cut his threat with a potato knife, after desperate effort to end the lives of his wife and tweu- ty-year old daughter, Prof. Under wood died twenty minutes later,
 Before his wife insnaged to tear her self from his grasp, the botanist man. aged to cut her throat from ear to ear. While Mrs. Underwood Is in a serious condition it is believed that she will recover.
 In wrestling with her husband to pre- vent him from killing their daughter, Mrs, Underwood had the little finger severed from the left hand. The daughter escaped injury,
 According to a statement made by Mrs. Underwood shortly after the tragedy. her husband had lost heavily in the recent financial panic It s said that he brooded over th's con- stantly and had spent every n'ght since Thursday pacing the floor, While he appeared worried he manifested no signs of insanity.
 Saturday morning he seemed more cheerful than for days and his family believed he would be able to again take up his duties at Columbia.
 Without warning, however, lata in the afternoon, Prof. Underwood sud- denly ran into the Kitchen of the house, snatched a potato knife from the table and made lunge for his wlfes throat, She lodged the first attack, but hs sprang at her again and managed to draw the knife across her throat. Her cries attracted her daughter, who hur- ried to her mothers assistance At sight of his daughter, the botanist threw his wife from him and made for het
 Mrs. Underwood hurried to her daughters assistance and in so doing had the little finger of the left hand amputated. At this point the profess sor made for razor on the seeond floor and his wife and daughter es- caped to the home of a neighhor. 1 Underwood then went to the bath room and cut his own throat, dying twenty minutes later.
 In addition to his work as professor of botany at Columbia university, he was one of the leading officers of the Bronx botanical gardens.
 l It Is said that the professor had lost thousands of dollars in the recen. slump in Wall street, and it is believed that the fear of losing his beautiful home had preyed constantly on his mind until he became insane. Bedding is the home of a number of wealthy New Workers and Professor Underwood was one of the most popu- lar men in this city. He has written several books and was considered an authority on all subjects pertaining tc botany. He had been a resident of Bedding for three years
 Dr. Ernest H. Smith, medical exam iner, has completed his inquiry into the death of Prof Lucian r. Under wood. The report to Coroner Doten of Bridgeport was mailed to-day and states that it was death by suicide There will probably be no further in- vestigation
 It was late last night before Mrs Underwood, who Is in a serious con dition at the home of Frank D. Ewing had recovered from the attack upon her life sufficiently to be told that hel husband was dead The news was broken by her daughter Helen, Whe was also attacked by her father
 Mrs Underwood, who was already suffering from the severe shock, took the news calmly. but became much more depressed; Dr. Wight of Bethel who was summoned, found it neccs- sary to take several stitches as several of the smaller blood vessels had been cut and the knife had also completely severed some of the larger muscles. The physician said tonight that her con dition was very serious, but she had an excellent chance of recovery pro. viding no complications appeared Sc far she has been unable to make any statement concerning the affair.
 Miss Helen Underwood, the daughter who was in the house at the time of tn attack upon her mother, Is in a yer, nervous condition When her fathe rushed at her mother with the knif and plunged 1t into her neck, tn daughter with all her strength, hal dragged the bleeding mother from tn place and then assisted her to the hom ot MT Ewing.
 Miss Underwood, who Is about twen ty-twO years old, was graduated iron Cornell university short time az and since that time has lived with he mother on the Redding place, which i ! owned by Mrs. Underwood.
 Professor Underwood believed tha his fortune had been swept away b, the recent financial troubles, but 1t wa said today by member of the famil. that he was laboring under misap prehension, although it was impossibl to ascertain in what way his none had been invested. He spent tn greater part of his time in New York but came here for two or three days
 weok with hls family. Mrs. Under wood spent almost her entire time a -s-- as in summer
 ' Prof. Underwood returned here Fri day night and complained of insomnia He acted strangely, but this was at tributed to his inability to secure suffi