Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-22
CLUE IN RAWN CASE
Belief That Railway President
Was Killed for Revenge.
EARLY ARREST EXPECTED
Coroner Claims Information as to
Identity of Slayer.
SUPPORTS THEORY OF FAMILY
Insurance Agents Investigating
Charge of Suicide-Charges
Against the Deceased Official.

CHICAGO, July 22,Coroner Peter
Hoffman announced today that he had
yeceived information which led him to
believe that Ira G. Rawn was murdered
for revenge He Immediately went into
conference with Herman Schuettler. act
ing chief of police. Mr. Hoffman said
he would tell more after the conference.
Coroner Hoffman announced that there
would be an arrest this afternoon.
II have obtained a new clue in con-
nection with the death of Mr.. Rawn,''
said Mr.. Hoffman. land my information
looks very good. 1 also have information
concerning the identity of the alleged
slayer but l do not care to make my
information public until after my con-
ference with Acting Chief Schuettler."
Bullet Found in the Crate.
The alleged discovery yesterday of a
second bullet in the CRATE at the home of
an important part in determining the
dent met his death.
In this discovery members of the Rawn
family are convinced they have the evil
to the circumstances that led up to his
death 1t is the clinching argument, they
believe, supporting their theory that Mr..
RaWn'S revolver was discharged at an
intruder and that it was the bullet from
the latter's revolver that ended Rawn's
life
Insurance officials, who are investigat-
ing the case independently. because of his
$l41,OOO of life and accident insurance, re-
fused to voice any definite opinion. II
their investigation should disclose that
Mr.. Rawn ended his life, the accident
policies. aggregating $1O5, 900, would prob
ably become worthless.
IF the second bullet is found the muir
der theory is made much stronger" said
Coroner Hoffman.
Theory Advanced by Family.
Mrs. Rawn and her son-in-law, Ralph
G. Coburn, have maintained that two
shots were fired. From the fact that the
bullet that killed Rawn was discovered
beside his body. the police reached the
conclusion that the family was mistaken,
and that but one shot was fired.
1t develops that no doors were forced.
and there was no tangible clew that any
intruder had been in the house. That
Rawn would have been called upon to de-
fend himself in a suit for big damages,
with a possible criminal prosecution. has
been admitted by attorneys for the Ilii-
nois Central railway. and this fact boil
stored the police belief that Rawn COM
mitted suicide.
1t was not until June 6, after six
months work on the matter. that the
Illinois Central made the charges against
it's former officials. The railroad filed
bill in equity in the circuit court against
Joseph E. Buker. formerly superintendent
of the car department.: William Renshaw.
formerly superintendent of machinery; y.
s. Keith, formerly superintendent OF
transportation, and Joseph NJ. Taylor,
formerly general stOrekeeper.
Allegation of Fraud.
1t was alleged through collusion with
these officers five car repair companies
the Blue Island Car and Equipment Com
pany, the Memphis Car Company, the
American Car and Equipment Company.
the Ostermann Manufacturing Company
and the International Car Company-had
been able to defraud the road out Of
81, ,555.OUO or nearly one-third of the total
of So,2.s;3. i.r, paid these companies for car
repairs in four years.
Details of the suits charged that these
officials and others unknown had con-
spired 10 cause the formation of the car
companies for the express purpose Of de-
frauding the road; that they had repre-
sented 1t was cheaper to have cars re-
paired in this way than in the railroad S
own shops and that they had entered into
an agreement whereby the car compa MES
should charge excessive bills for their
work, including work never performed
and materials furnished from the rail-
roads own stores.
July IL was announced that the Blue
IslaEd company had settled with the
railroad by paying over nearly the full
amount of 100000 named In the bill, and
it has been understood that negotiations
were under way with representatives of
the other companies. This was not ohi-
cialIy admitted. however. and the Illinois
Central attorneys have been pushing the
sitions before Master in Chancery Thomas
Taylor, jr.. the first witness being MIR.
Rawn, who was asked July to explain
how the practice of farming out cars for
repairs came about.
His Position in Jeopardy.
Rawn was an unwilling witness. whose
memory was defective. He denied that
he owned stock in the Blue Island Car
Company. He admitted that he or Presi-
dent Harahan gave orders for the re-
pairs. From the questions at the first
hearing it was apparent that the Illinois
Central lawyers had full knowledge of
the actors behind the scene. and that
Rawn fully realized that ii was only a
question of hours before he would be
| forced TO give up his railroad career
| The tragedy came in the wake of ruined
homes, wrecked regulations. lost positions
! nd trim fn E,urOne Mo ~