The Savannah morning news., 1902-01-24
ST.sLOUIS MYSTERY
PROMINENT CITIZEN BRAINED IN
BATH HOUSE.
WAS ROBBED OF VALUABLES.
NEGRO UNDER ARREST TELLS con-
FLICTING STORIES.

Dean Cooper, Treasurer of the
Graham Paper Company and own
err of the Vista Bath House, Meets
His Death in the Latter PIace-If
the Negro StrOthers' Statement Is
True There May He Sensational
Developments Later Otherwise
Cooper May Have simply Been
Killed and Robbed.
st. Louis, Mo-, Jan. ga. Dean
Cooper, treasurer of the Graham Paper
Company, died here to-day as the re-
suit of injuries sustained in a mystic
rious manner while in the Vista Turk
ish Bath establishment at 3518 Frank
lin avenue last night William A. Stro-
ther, the colored man in charge of the
bath house, who tells conflicting stories
about the affair, is under arrest, and
diamond ring worth $1,000, and a
have been recovered from their hiding
place in the cellar of the bath-house.
Mr.. Cooper's injury consisted of
fractured skull A sledge hammer COW
cred 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 mid
night 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 re-
turned from the cellar. where he had
gone to fix the fires, Strother says.
he found Cooper on the couch uncon>
scious.
Strother later told the police that
the two women and a man who had
called to see Mr.. Cooper, came in a
carriage. He said that he had ad-
mitted them to the cooling room and
had returned to the basement. He
did not know, he said, when they de-
parted
Strother also said that two colored
women, Josie Houston and Florence
Banks. had visited him in the base
ment earlier last night.
Erastus Fountain. janitor Of the
Vista Block. says that the two women
were i'm Strother's company at $3.50
O'clock when he made his last visit
| to the premises The police say that
| there rs no other evidence than Strotl1-
| er's statement TO prove the visit or
| two women and a man to the bath
| house.
A few minutes after~mid night Theo-
dore Cooper, known as Tod" Copper,
son OF A. Dean Cooper, answered the
door bell at the family residence 3713
Washington boulevard. Strother was
at the door.
Your father has been hurt" said
the negro to young Cooper. '.He Is over
at the bath house now
Without stopping to question the
man closely, Cooper went to the Vista
block. In the cooling room on a COZ
in the middle of the long compartment
he found his father covered by a
sheet.
Physicians 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, and
they made another search, finding the
ring and pin in the cellar.
Strother stoutly maintains his inno-
cence. Fountain. the janitor, was taken
to the police station. but was released
after telling about the presence of the
two colored women I'm the bath house
when he left. The women were arrested
and closely questioned by the police
Tod" Cooper stated to the police that
his father had practically closed deal
for the sale of the bath-house property
which he owned and that the transfer
was to have been made to-day. Mr.
Cooper was considered one of the veal
thiest men in st. Louis.