The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1910-07-23
A Railroad President Sho! to Dealh
Mysteriously in His Home.
SUICIDE OR MURDER
Family Claim Burglar Did Shoot
ing.-Possible Fraud Implication
and Fear Of Disgrace Advanced as
Theory for Suicide,-Dead Mans
Associates Not Surprised.
Associates Not Surprised.

Ira G.. Rawn, president of the
Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville
Railroad (the Monon Route,) died
of a bullet wound, at his summer
residence in Winnetka fifteen miles
north Of Chicago, early Wednesday
morning.
Members Of Mr.. Rawn's family
say he was killed by burglar. The.
police are working on theory that
Mr.. Rawn killed himself. AS bas-
is Of their suicide theory, the police
advance the following reasons:
They point to the fact that Mr..
Rawn was operating vice president
of the Illinois Central Railroad at
the time fraudulent car repair con-
tracts were put through and that
recently he was drawn into the IL
linofs Central graft investigation as
chief witness
They saw that the action of Mr..
Rawn's relatives in refusing to aid
the Chicago detective department to
search for the alleged murderer is
suspicious.
They declare that there exists
lack of convincing evidence that an
intruder had actually been in the
Rawn residence.
Mrs. Rawn, wife Of the dead man;
r. G. Coburn, his son-in-laW; Mrs
Coburn and two children, and three
maids were In the house when tho
tragedy occurred.
Mrs. Rawn says that her husband
was aroused from SLEEP 1t Lalf past
one o'clock in the morning. by O
noise on the first floor Of the resi-
dence. She says Mr.. kawn picked
up revolver in his room on the
second floor and started downstairs.
and was down in the hall when two.
shots were fired. A minutes search
Of the fronthall and adjoining rooms
of the residence, however, show but
one bullet, that fired from the re-
volver of Mr. Rawn and which ap-
parently had passed through Mr.
Kawn's body just below the heart. r
Coroner Peter Hoffman took per-
sonal charge OF the investigation iu-
to the death. He refused to say
whether he thought the case was one
of murder or suicide. He stated,
however, that powder marks had
been found on Mr., Rowp's night
gown. 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 attributed Mr.. Rawn's worried
expression to the Investigation OF tho
conspiracy by which the illinois,
Central claims it was mulched out
OF hundreds of thousands Of dollars.
This is now going on in court.
On two successive days last week
Mr.. Rawn begged for and secured a
postponement of his examination as
witness on the plea that his wife
was ill.,
His examination was scheduled TO
be taken up again next Tuesday.
MIR. Rawn left the Illinois Central
Railroad in November, 1903. and be-
came president of the Monon. Early
this Spring the Illinois Central fraud
came to light. Though the investi-
CATION is not in such shape that any
criminal responsibility for the frauds
Is fixed, it is declared that the rep
utation of some persons involved
would be ruined and their future
practically blotted out.
At the first hearing before Master
in Chancery Thomas J. Taylor, Jr.,
Mr.. Rawn testified that the car re-
pair contracts all came under his
supervision. He admitted that he
was responsible for farming out the
cars to the various repair commit