Who is Mr. Underwood in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird?

Braxton Bragg Underwood is the owner and editor of The Maycomb Tribune and is a close friend of Atticus Finch. Scout mentions that Mr. Underwood's days were spent on the linotype and that he always had a jug of cherry wine present. She also comments that Mr. Underwood rarely left his office because people brought him the news. In Chapter 15, Atticus is warned about the Old Sarum bunch and a few community members fear that they will attempt to cause havoc before the trial. As predicted, the Old Sarum bunch attempts to lynch Tom Robinson. Fortunately, Mr. Underwood witnesses the entire situation from his office window and is holding a double-barrel shotgun to cover Atticus the entire time. Following Tom Robinson's trial, Scout mentions that Mr. Underwood wrote an editorial that compared Tom's verdict to the "senseless slaughter of songbirds" (Lee 147). Although Mr. Underwood is a racist, he has a conscience and believes in justice. He disagrees with the jury's decision because he thinks that it is wrong to harm crippled, helpless individuals. Mr. Underwood's editorial gives additional insight into his moral character and depicts him as an empathetic individual.