The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-01-28

st. Louis. anuar ga. Dean Coop
er. treasurer q the Graham Paper Com
Eany. died here today as the result OF
injuries sustained in a mysterious man.
ner while in the Vista Turkish bath es-
adjustment at Nc. 35lS Franklin ave-
nue. last night. William A. Strother,
the colored man in charge OF the bath,
who tells conflicting stories about the
affair. is under arrest and a diamond
ring worth 81. 500 and a valuable pin
belonging to Mr.. Cooper. have been
recovered from their Kidding place In
the cellar of the ~bathhouse.
Mr.. Csoper's injury consisted of q
fractured skull. A sledge hammer COW
cred with blood was also found in the
cellar and taken possession OF by the
police.
STROLLER made a statement to the DO
lice to the effect that about midnight a
boy brought Mr.. Cooper a note which
he refused to answer. The boy went
away and soon after a man and two
women entered. When he returned
from the cellar where he had gone to
fix the fires. Strother says he found
Cooper on the couch unconscious.
STROLLER later told the police that the
two women and q man who had called
to see Mr.. Cooper. came in a carriage.
He said that he had admitted them &c
the cooling room and had returned to
the basement. He did not know, he
said, when they departed.
Strnther also said that two colored
Women-Iosie Houston and Florence
Banks. had visited him in the basement
earlier last night.
Erastus Fountain, janitor of the Vista
block says that the two women were in
~Strother's company at $3.50 o'clock when
he made his last visit TO the premises
The police say that there Is no other
evidence than Strother's statement 10
prove the visit of two women and a.
man to the ~bathhouse.
A few minutes after midnight Theo-
dore Cooper. known as Tod" Cooper,
son of A. Dean Cooper. answered the
door bell at the family residence No.
SI73 Washington boulevard. Strother
was at the door. Your father has
been hurt" said the negro to young
Cooper. Hes over at the bathhouse
now"
Without stopping to question the man
closely Cooper hurried to the Vista,
block. In the cooling room of the bath
mouse. on a cot In the middle OF the.
long compartment. he found his rather
covered with a sheet.
Doctors were Immediately called and
the police notified. The latter made an
Investigation and discovered the blood
stained hammer. Young Cooper told.
the police that the ring usually worn by
his father was missing n they made
another search. finding the ring ana
pin In the cellar.
Strother stoutly maintains his inno-
cence. Fountain, the j~anitor. was TAX
en- to the police station, but was released
after telling about the presence of tie
two eolored women in the bath house
when he left. The women were arrest
ed and closely questioned by the police.
Tod" Cooper stated to the pohCa
that his father had practically closed
a deal for the sale Of the bathouse
property which he owned and that thu
transfer was to have been made today.
Mr.. Cooper was considered one OF thu
wealthiest men in st. Louis.
Developments In connection with the
murder as the day progressed were $50
s%ational In the extreme. It hecaIna
known that Stroller, was In need e
money. $500 or more. to reclaim his
nome from mortgage sale Srofher,
J ment that Mr.. Cooper. whom ha had
known and served for a long time had
promised to save his heme for him.
Questioned az TO why Mr.. Cooper
should do this. the negro told q sense-
tional story of the alleged true ehzrac-
ter Of the place of which he bad beer
the trusted custodian and the ssexy wa
In some degree corroborafed by = state.
ment from the police that they had beer
making sec-et investigators and wers
going to raid and close I'D the place.
: Strother stoutly maintains his limo.
cence, but the police are entirely conf
: dent that they have the right man ii
custody.