Evening star., 1902-01-23
A. Dean Cooper Killed in Turkish
Bath Rooms.
SKULL CRUSHED With HAMMER
Negro Porter in Charge Of Prop
erty Under Arrest.
TELLS CONFLICTING STORIES

ST. LOUIS. January 23.-Mr. A. Dean
Cooper. treasurer of the Graham Paper
Company. died here today as the result of
injuries sustained in a myste erious manner
while in the Vista Turkish bath establish
ment at 3o1S Franklin avenue. last night.
Wm A. Strother. the colored man in
charge of the bath house. who tells con-
hictfng stories about the affair. is under
arrest, and a diamond ring worth 81 500
and valuable pin belonging to Mr. Cooper
have been recovered from their hiding place
in the cellar of the bath house
Mr.. Coopers injury consisted of frac-
tured skull. A sledge hammer covered
with blood was also found in the cellar and
taken possession of by the police.
Strother made a statement to the police
to the effect that about midnight boy
brought Mr.. Cooper note which he refused
to answer. The boy went away and soon
aIter a man and two women entered.
When he returned from the cellar, where
he had gone to fix the fires. Strother says
ne FOUND Cooper on the couch unconscious.
Never ReGained Consciousness.
Doctors operated on Mr.. Cooper and re-
moved pieces Of bone that were pressing on
his brain, but the injured man died without
regaining consciousness
Mr.. Cooper was the owner Of the bath
house where the assault was committed,
but it was not managed in his name. Mr..
Cooper. who was interested in various lines
OF business, was considered one of the
wealthiest men in St. Louis.
StrOther later told the police that the
two women and man who had called to
see Mr.. Cooper came in carriage He
said that he had admitted them to the cool
ing room and had returned to the basement
He did not know, he said, when they de-
parted.
Strother also said that two colored wo-
men-Josie 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 $40 o'clock when ne
made his last visit to the premises. The
police say that there is no other evidence
than Strothers statement to prove the visit
OF two women and man to the bath house.
Strother Notifies Family.
A few minutes after midnight Theodore
Cooper. known as TOD" Cooper, son of A.
Dean Cooper, answered the door bell at the
family residence, S713 Washington boule-
ward. Strother was at the door.
"Your father has 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 compart-
ment. he found his father covered by a
sheet.
Doctors were Immediately called and the
police notified. The latter made an invcs-
tigation and discovered the blood-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 eel
lar. as already stated.
Strother stoutly maintains his innocence.
Fountain, the janitor. was taken to the
police station. but was released after tell.
ing about the presence of the two colored
women in the bath house when he left
Tod Cooper stated to the police that
his father had practically closed deal
for the sale of the bath house property
and that the transfer was to have been
made today, but did not state the name OF
the prospective purchaser.
The Houston and Banks women, both col
ored, were arrested during the day and
closely questioned by the police.