Newspaper

Kansan, Wednesday, July 12, 1916

The body of Louis Underwood was found last night about 11:30 o'clock at the foot of the stairs in the residence of Mr. and Mrs. George Brown at 515 East Eighth street by two colored ministers who are delegates to the colored Methodist church convention held here, who had been assigned rooms at the Brown home. There were no bruises or injuries to indicate that death resulted from the fall and it is thought that the young man may have been ascending the stairs and was seized with the attack of heart failure which caused him to fall.

Louis Underwood is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Minor Underwood Sr. who reside at 117 Elm street, and had been porter at the Midland National Bank for several years and during the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Don Kinney here was employed at their home. According to the story of Mr. Brown, he and Mr. Underwood had gone to the Brown home early in the afternoon and had dinner then went to town. Later in the afternoon Louis went to his own home and complained of not feeling well and his mother gave him a soda drink. He was at the Midland National Bank and mentioned to H. A. Ingold that he was not very well in the evening about 8 o'clock. It was after that he attended a social held by the ladies of the church and about 10 o'clock, according to the story of Brown, they were at the pool rooms. Brown it is reported went home in an intoxicated condition. The ministers who had been assigned to the Brown home for the night had locked the door and they were summoned by Brown to open the door. They stated that he was in a condition in which a man is very talkative and was very profuse in being hospitable to them.

They did not see Louis but heard voices on the first floor after they had retired for there night but were sure that there was no indication of a dispute or quarrel. The neighbors corroborate their statement having heard the two men taking for some time. When there was a loud noise later in the night, the ministers were awakened and ran to the stairs to see a body at the foot jammed up against the door. On man stated that he saw Louis struggle once. They thought it was Brown but reaching him found it to be another man and hastened next door to give the alarm. When the night officers arrived they found Louis dead and Brown in a deep sleep on a davenport in the front room of the house and it required the free use of cold water to rouse him from his stupor. A half pint bottle of whiskey partly gone was found in hip pocket of the dead man, it is stated.

As his watch and money had not been molested and there had been no quarrel or dispute which might indicate that there was a motive for any one desiring the death of Louis and since it was known that his two brothers and an uncle had also met with death suddenly, the coroner decided that there was no reason for holding an inquest and that the cause of death while unknown had probably been the result of a heart attack.

Louis had been quite a valued employee at the Midland national Bank and about the Kenney residence. He had returned just recently from Kansas City where he had been working for Mr. and Mrs. Kinney and had told his friends that he expected to return there soon to stay permanently. No arrangements have been made for the funeral.