Excerpts from Article,
Frederick Post
Friday, March 18, 1949
Seoul, Korea,
March 18, 1949
Mrs. Ethel Van Waganer Underwood, age 60, born in Kingston, MI, was shot and killed by a robber in her home in Seoul, Korea on March 17. Police blamed Korean Communists for the slaying of Mrs. Underwood, wife of a prominent US educator and missionary in Korea. Mrs. Underwood was shot by two hooded gunmen, who forced their way into her home during a tea party. Mrs. Underwood was shot once in the side.
Mrs. Underwood's only daughter, Miss Grace Underwood, age 20, is a junior at Hood College, Frederick, MD. She first learned of her mother's death when an official of the college heard a radio broadcast at breakfast and took the news to her.
Dr. Underwood, although an adviser to the former American Military Government, had taken no part in politics, and his wife was popular with Koreans.
Dr. Underwood was not at home at the time, but was teaching a class at the university, where he is on faculty.
Mrs. Underwood attended Albion College in Michigan and held a Master's Degree from New York University.
Dr. Underwood's father, the late Horace G. Underwood, came to Korea in the middle of the 1880's from New York City and founded Chosen Christian College. Dr. Underwood and Mrs. Underwood were married in 1916. Mrs. Underwood was the mother of 5 children.
Surviving,
Husband: Dr. Horace H. Underwood, Korea
Children:
Miss Grace Underwood, Frederick, MD
Rev. James Underwood, Hancock, NY
Horace Grant Underwood, Korea
John Thomas Underwood, Korea
Richard Folson Underwood, Hamilton College
Second Article,
Seoul, Korea, March 22, 1949.
Police Chief Kim Tai Sun announced today the slayers of Mrs. H.H. Underwood had been arrested and linked with the Communist South Korea Labor Party.
The announcement was made after Mrs. Underwood's son, Rev. John Underwood, had offered prayers for the slayers at the funeral attended by 2,000 persons.
Chief Kim said the 5 men arrested in the slaying had confessed. He said none of them knew each other before meeting to carry out their assignment.
Excerpts from Article
Frederick Post,
Wednesday, March 23, 1949