Norwich bulletin., 1910-07-21
Did Ira G. RaWn
Shoot Himself
MONON RAILROAD PRESIDENT
DIED OF BULLET WOUND.
BURGLAR, THE FAMILY SAYS
Chicago Police Advance Reasons for
Their Suicide Theory Action of
Relatives Deemed Suspicious.

Chicago, July 2O.-Ira C. Rawn
president of the Chicago, Indianapolis
and Louisvilles railroad (the AIonor
route), died of a bullet wound at his
summer residence in Winnetaka fif-
teen miles north of Chicago, early to-
day
Police Advance Suicide Theory.
Members of Mr.. Rawn's family say
lice are working on a theory that Mr..
Rawn killed himself AS a basis for
their suicide theory the police advance
the following reasons:
They point to the fact that MIR. Rawn
was operating vice president of the
Illinois Central railroad at the time
fraudulent car repair contracts were
put through and that recently he has
been drawn into the Illinois Central
graft investigation as a chief witness.
Lack of Convincing Evidence.
They say that the action of Mr..
Rawn's relatives in refusing the aid of
the Chicago detective department to
search for the alleged murderer is sus-
picious. They declare that there ex-
lists a lack of convincing evidence that
an intruder had actually been in the
Rawn residence.
Widow and Son-inLaw Tell of the
Tragedy.
Mrs. Rawn, widow of the dead man,
r. G. Coburn, his on-in-law, 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
1-30 O'Clock in the morning by a noise
on the first floor of the residence. She
says Mr. Rawn picked up revolver in
his room on the second floor, started
down stairs, and was shot on land
ing half 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 resi-
that fired from Mr.. Rawn's revolver
and which apparently had passed
through Mr.. Rawn's body just below
the heart.
Powder Marks on Night Gown.
Coroner Peter Hoffman took personal
charge of the investig igation into the
death. He refused to say whether he
thought the case was one of murder or
of suicide. He stated however that
powder marks had been found on Mr..
Rawn's night gown, indicating that the
bullet which killed him was fired at
close range.
Mr.. Rawn Was Wsrried.
Friends and business associates of
the dead man say he has been looking
badly for several weeks. Some attrib-
uted Mr.. Rawn's worried expression to
the investigation of the conspiracy by
claims it was mulcted out of hundreds
of thousands of dollars. This is now
going on in court.
On two successive days last week
Mr. Rawn secured a postpOnement of
his examination as witness on the
plea that his wife was i'll. His exam
nation was scheduled to be resumed
next Tuesday.
The Illinois Central Fraud.
Mr.. RaWn left the Illinois Central
railroad in November 1909, and became
president of the MOnon. Early this
spring the Illinois Central fIaud cap7a
% Light Though the investigat ton is
cot in such shape that any criminal
for the frauds is fixed
t is declared that the railroad reputa-
ions of some persona involved would
De ruined and their futures practically
plotted out.
At the first hearing before Master
n Chancery Thomas Taylor Jr Mr.
Rawn testified that the car repair
contracts all came under his super
yision He admitted that he was re-
;ponsible for farming out the cars to
he various repair companies.