The Washington herald., 1910-07-21

Chicago. July aO.-Ira @. Rawn. presi-
dent of the Monon Railroad. was shot to
death in his summer home IN Winnetka
at 1870 O'Clock this morning. Members
Of his family say he was murdered by
burglars.
Others who hold TO the burglar theory
believe Rawn may have started down
stairs to meet man supposed to be in
the house. but that instead Of berg shot
by the burglar he tripped in his night
robe and accidentally pulled the trigger
Of his own revolver as no was falling.
A third theory which the police hold
strongly to. but which is resented by
members Of the family and by subordi-
nate officials of the Monon, was that Mr..
Rawn took his own life. being prompted
by worry ana sleepleSsneSs over the scan
dals which have developed in the last
few weeks in the affairs OF the Western
Indiana road OF which Mr.. Rawn is a
director. and Of the Illinois Central. Of
which he was vice president in charge
Of operations until last fsn.
Not In Depressed spirits.
To disprove that Mr. Rawn was in a
frame Of mind to drive him to self-de-
struotion. his chief clerk exhibited let
ter he had written late last night to ".
4. Gardner. vice president Of the Chicago
and Northwestern road. in which he told
Gardner he wished 10 take his family 10
Cisco Lake. leaving Saturday evening.
and asked if arrangements could be
made To attach the Rawn private car TO
a Northwestern train. In this letter Mr..
Rawn said he hoped 70 return Monday.
Mrs Rawn says sbs was awakened
shortly after ! o'clock this morning by
noise as IL some one was az the door
down stairs. She told Mr.. Rawn of the
noise and he took his revolver. against
her protest. and started quietly down the
front stairway in his night dress. Mrs.
Rsv<H followed to the head OF the stair
way Two shots were fired. she said,
and her husband fell. moaning. down the
stairway.
Ralph G. Coburn. son-in-law Of Mr..
Rawn who was asleep upstairs. said
he also heard two shots. When ne
reached the side OF the dying man be-
low. Mrs Rawn was holding her hus-
bands head in her lap and crying hys-
terically for aid Neither Mrs. Rawn
nor Mr.. Coburn saw the burglar who was
supposed 10 have fred one Of the shots
Mr.. Rawn lived only a few minutes
and was unable to explain how he had
been shot. An examination Of the re-
volver he carried disclosed that it con-
tained one empty cartridge No bullet
was found to substantiate the firing OF
a second shot
BurEIar Also wounded.
Members of the family explain this
by suggesting that the burglar also was
shot. but not in a vital place In sup
port OF this theory they pointed 10 spots
on a cement walk leading from the house.
Close examination Of these spots later
revealed that they We're in all proba-
bility paint.
The screen doors were pointed out as
having been forced open with a jimmy
Detectives who examined these doors
and others through which the burglar
was supposed to have passed, said they
might have been forced. but If so. the
man who did the job was a novice in
the burglary business. The burglary
clew. therefore, Is being pursued on the
theory that no practlced night prowler
Is the guilty man.
Coroner Hoffman, after examining the
niRhtrobe and the wounds OF the dead
man. said the shot was fired from a
weapon not more than two or three fett
away. Powder burns on the garment in
dicated this. This distance does not ac-
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