The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-01-24
MILLIONAIRE MURDERED
A. DEAN COOPER, TREASURER OF
GRAHAM PAPER CO., THE VICTIM.
The Attendant at His Own Bath House
in ST. Louis Is Under Arrest
As a Suspect.

st. Louis January pa Dean Cooper
the millionaire treasurer OF the Graham
Paper company, died todny as the result Of
an assault III which his skull was frac-
turcd willie IN the cooling room OF the vista
Turkish bath house. at Grand and Franklin
avenues, last night. William strother, the
ncgro attendant at the bath house who was
oil duty last night and who notified Mr.
Cooper's family shortly after midnight OF
the assault. is held as a prisoner at the
police station A diamond ring, valued at
$500, and a diamond pin, worn by Cooper
when he entered the bath. we're found In
the basement OF the bath house this morn
ing, They had been concealed under the
flooring in q creyice above the top Of q
ioIst A sldcge hammer bearing fresh
bloed stains was found In the basement
soon after the police had been summoned
to the scene Of the assault The hammer
was one which is used 20 the basement for
breaking up coal.
Strothcr told the police that two women
ana 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 ana were preceded by boy with
a note. The colored man said he had ad
mitted them to the cooling room ami mud
returned 10 the basement lie did not
know, he said when they departed
Strothcr also sand two colored women
Josie Houston ana Florence Bauks-hod Wis
tied him in the basement earlier last night
Erastus Fountain ianitor OF the Vista
block says that the two women were in
strother's company at $50 o'clock when
he made his last visit to the premises
few minutes after midnight Theodore
Cooper, known as Tod" Cooper, son Of A.
Dean Cooper, answered the door bell Mt
the family residence, 37l3 Washington
boulevard. strother was OF the door.
Your fathers been hurt" said the lie.
gro to young Cooper. Hes over at the
bath house now"
without stopping TO question the man
closely Cooper hurled TO the Vista block.
In the cooling room OF the BATH house on a
cot in tie middle OF the long compartment
be found his father covered with a sheet.
Doctors were Immediately called and the
pcllce notified. The latter discovered the
hlood.stalned hammer. Young Cooper told
tho police that the ring usually worn by
his fnther WINS missing. and they made AM
Niufi Ntti'H, IltulUF cue TING anu pun WI tue
cellar, as already stated. For some time
the physicians worked over Mr.. Cooper,
who did not regain consciousness. They
decided TO perform an operation and re.
move tho pieces Of bone from the jagged
wound In the lkul tina. were pressing on
the injured mans brain This was success
fully performed, but MIR Cooper did not
regain consciousness and died at 10 o'clock
this morning, srother stoutly maintains
his innocence
Tod Cooper stated to the police that
his father had practically closed deal for
tine sale Of the bath house property, ana
that the transfer was 10 have been made
today, but did not state the name of the
prospective purchaser
Josie Houston, aged 90 and Florence
Banks, aged so, the latter married. both
colored, are held AT the police station,
whore they are being swpnted by the
police.