The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-07-22
RAWN TOOK
OWN LIFE
PRESIDENT OF MoNoN ROAD NOT
SLAIN BY BURGLAR.
POLICE DROP lNvEsTIGATloN
The Acting Chief Of Police Of Chicago
Issues Statement Declaring Rswn's
Death was by His Own Hand: Burg.
lar Story Was Family Framc-up.

Chicago, July 21.-The Chicago po.
lice haye dropped the investigation
into the death of Ira G. Rawn. presi.
dent of the Chicago. Indianapolis and
Louisville railroad (Monon), and Her
man Schuelter acting chief of police,
said today that he was satisfied that
Mr.. Rawn had committed suicide
Acting Chief Schuelter announced
his decision after a long conference
with the detectives who had investi.
gated the Winnetka shooting. They
declared all the details pointed to sui.
eide.
The suicide theory is believed to
have been strengthened by the results
of an investigation by Coroner Hoff-
man.
The bullet hole in Mr.. Rawns night
garment had been carefully examined
and its appearance leads to the sui
eide belief.
The hole is surrounded by blood
stains in which there are believed to
be powder marks.
While the private detectives an
nounced yesterday that they expected
to make an arrest today, no one was
taken into custody.
AS basis for their suicide theory,
the police advance the following rea-
sons:
They point to the fact that Mr..
Rawn was operating vice president of
the Illinois Central railroad at the
time the fraudulent car repair con-
tracts were placed there and that re-
Gently he has been drawn into the
Illinois Central graft investigation as
chief witness. They say that the
| action of Mr.. Rawns relatives in re-
fusing aid of the Chicago detective de-
partment to search for the alleged
murderer is suspicious.
Mrs. Rawn, wife of the dead man
R. G. Coburn, his son-in-aw; Mrs. Co
burn and two children and three maids
were in the house when the tragedy
occurred. Mrs. Rawn says that her
husband was aroused from sleep at
| | 30 o'clock in the morning by noise
| on the first floor of the house. She
| says Mr.. Rawn picked up a revolver
| in his room on the second floor, start.
| ed down stairs and was shot on a
landing on his way down. Both Mrs.
| Rawn and Coburn say that two shots
| were fired. A minute search of the
| front hall and adjoining rooms of the
| house, show but one bullet, that fired
from Mr.. Rawn's revolver and which
apparently, had passed through Mr.
Rawn's body just below the heart.
Coroner Hoffman took personal
| charge of the investigation into the
death. He refused to say whether he
| thought the case was one of murder
or of suicide. He said. however that
Rawn's nightgown, indicating that the
bullet which killed Mr.. Rawn was fired
| at close range.
| Friends and business associates OF
the dead man say that he has been
| looking badly for several weeks
Some attribute Mr.. Rawn's worried
expression to the investigation of the
conspiracy by which the Illinois Cen
| tral railroad claims it was mulcted
out of hundreds of thousands of dol
lars. This is now going on in court
The outcome of this investigation. il
is said, would have involved Mr.. Rawr
at least indirectly.
On two successive days last week
Mr.. Rawn begged for and secured &
postponement of his examination as &
witness on the plea that his wife was
| ill. His examination was scheduled
to take place Tuesday.
Mr.. Rawn left the Illinois Contra
railroad in November, 1909, and be
came president of the Monon.