The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-23
KILLED AT BATH.
Treasurer of Graham Paper Co.
Murdered.
Deed Was Committed In His
Own Establishment.

St Louis, Jan 23.-A. Dean Cooper,
the millionaire treasurer of the Graham
Paper company, died today as the re-
suit of an assault in which his skull
was fractured while in the cooling room
of the Vista Turkish bath house at
Grand and Franklin avenues last night
VIM. Strother, the negro attendant at
the bath house, who was on duty last
night and who notified Mr.. Cooper 5
family shortly after midnight of the as
sault, is held as a prisoner at the Day
ton street police station.
A diamond ring valued at $1,000 and
a diamond pin worn by Cooper when he
entered the bath were found in the
basement of the bath house this morn
ing. They had been concealed under
the flooring in crevice under the top
of a ioist.
A sledge hammer bearing fresh blood
stains was found in the basement soon
after the police had been summoned to
the scene of the assault The hammer Is
one which is used in the basement for
breaking up coal. Strother told the po-
lice at the time of his arrest that two
women and a man had called to see
Mr. COOper. who was proprietor of the
place, shortly after IL o'clock last night.
They came in a carriage and were pre-
ceded by a boy with a note The col
ored man said that he had directed
them to the cooling room and had re-
turned to the baSen ent. He said he did
not know when they departed. Stro-
ther also said that two colored women,
visited him in the basement earlier last
night.
Erastus Fountain, janitor of the
Vista block, says that the two women
We're in Strother's company at $50
o'clock when he made his last visit to
the premises. The police say that there
is no other evidence than Strother's S
statement to prove the visit of two
women and man to the bath house
few minutes after midnight TheO.
Cooper, known as Tod Cooper, son of
a. Dean Cooper, answered the door bell
at the family residence, 3713 Washing
ton boulevard. Strother was at the
door.
Your fathers been hurt" said the
negro to young Cooper. He's over at
the bath house now"
Without stopping to question the man
closely Cooper hurried to the Vista
block. In the cooling room of the bath
house on a cot in the middle of the long
compartment he found his father. COW
cred by a sheet.
Doctors were INN ediately called and
the police notified. The latter made an
stained hammer. Young Cooper told
the police that the ring usually worn
by his father was missing, and they
made another search, finding the ring
and pin in the cellar as already stated.
For some time the physicians worked
over Mr.. Cooper. who did not regain
consciousness They decided to per-
form an operation and remove the
in the skull that were pressing on the
injured mans brain. This was success
fully performed, but Mr.. Cooper did not
regain consciousness. passing away
about 10 o'clock this morning. sur
rounded by members of his family.
Strother stoutly maintains his inno-
cence. Fountain, the janitor, was ta-
ken to the police station, but was re-
leased after telling about the presence
or the two colored women in the bath
house when he left
Tod Cooper stated to the police that
his father had practically closed a deal
for the sale of the bath house property
and that the transfer was to have been
n ade today, but did not state the name
of the prospective purchaser.