Show KILLED HIS EMPLOYER Strother Confesses to Murder Mur-der of Mr Cooper r ST LOUIS MYSTERY CLEARED Negro Finally Breaks Down and Tolls the Detectives How Ho Slaughtered Millionaire as Ho Lay Aoloep in Turkioh Bnthraom Details De-tails tho Removal of tho Diamonds nni His Secreting Tham in the Baaoment July Returns Plndlntj olding Strother St Louis Jan 25 William Strother tho negro attendant at the Vista Turkish Turk-ish bathhouse at Grand avenue and Prnnklln otroeto hut confessed the mufdor of Alexander Dean Cooper The co femthiofl was made today before Chlofrf RUe and Desmond and a police po-lice stenographer who took the murderers mur-derers words verbatim Strother signed the confession when transcribed tran-scribed Strolhor who had boon constantly I pwcated by Chief Desmond finally broko n this i morning Just prior to tho flmc for tho Coroners Inqucot tto boffin anScortfcsacd alii He said he took the hammer In one hand lifted It high In the air and brought It down on the head of Mr Cooper who was asleep oh the cot J do not know why I did It said Strother IIi guess I must have been drunk and mad He admitted to Chief of DetecUvco Desmond last evening that he had removed re-moved the diamond ring from the finger fin-ger of Mr Cpopcr and the diamond stud from his shirt and hidden them In the basement He admitted also that he had brought the fatal coal hammer from tho basement and had taken J l brick and hidden It But the negro had explanations for those acts and still denied emphatically that he had killed his employer or assisted or connived at the killing Strpther said that he had removed the Jewels ut Coopers request for safekeeping and that It was ills custom to take care of them when Mr Cooper spsnt the night In the bathhouse H6 maId that Mr Cooper had told him that he expected company and feared that his visitors might rob him The Coroners Jury this afternoon found the following verdict Vo the Jury find that A Dean Cooper came to hIM death January 23 I 1002 at fttfO a m from a fracture of the skull resulting from a blow struck with a j9lcdBcnhnimcp by William Strothcn Ver dict unjustifiable homicide A number of witnesses were exam ined Deputy Coroner Booffher con flicting tho inquest asked tho prison er StrQthcr If he desired to make a statement Strother replied that he had been advised by his attorney Crlt tendon Clark tmegrO not to make any statement Dr Booghcr then asked Strother if he would Identify the signatures on the typewritten confes sion as his own Thl ho did Alexander Dean Cooper who was mysteriously assaulted some time Wednesday night In the Vista bath house of which he was proprietor wan secretary of the Graham Paper com pany lie was interested in other lines I of business and is said to have been one of the heaviest holders of real es tate In St Louis > Je was rated as a millionaire his estate being valued 000 anywhere between 1000000 and J2000 |