The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-21
Ira G. Rawn's Family Say Ne
Was the Victim of a
Burglars Bullet.
DETECTIVES HINT At SUICIDE
Was Interested In Western lndi.
ana and Illinois Gen.
trail Scandals.

CHICAGO. July 20 Ira q RAwn. pres
dent OF the Monon railroad. WIS shot
to death in his summer home IN winnetlI
at ha.f past l O'Clock this morning
Members of his family say no was r'ur
dered by a burglar
Others who accept the burglar Theory
believe that Mr. Rswn may have started
downstairs To meet a man supposed ~
he IN tho house hut that instead OF Ierns
shot by the burglar he tripPed in h5
night robe and accidentally pulled a."
trigger Of his own revolver "a he vas
falling.
A third theory which ~ resented -
nate officials Of the Monon l. that MIR
Rawn took his own life. beinG prompted
by worry and slssplessness over the
scandals which have Developed ia tho
affairs Of the Western Indiana road. ct
which Mr. Rawn was director. and those
81 the Illinois Central. Of which h. was
vice-president. in charge of operation
until last fall
To prove that Mr. Rawn was not m a
frame OF mind for sslf-dcst hIction his
had written late last night to W A Gard
ner. vice-president sf the Chicago and
Northwestern road. in which he told
Mr.. Gardner that he wanted TO take his
family to Cisco Lake. leaving Saturday
evening. and asked II arrangements
IA ks.r nAa 10, h..
car TO Northwestern train In this
letter Mr.. Rawn said he hoped to return
Monday
Officials Of the Monon were agreed that
their chief had been in unusually good
spirits the last few weeks and had been
planning with enthusiasm much important
work for the roads Of which he was presi-
dent.
Mrs. RAwn says she was awakened
shortly after l O'Clock this morning by a
noise as of some one at door downstairs.
She told Mr.. Rawn Of the noise and he
took his revolver, against her protest.
and started quietly down the front stair
way in his night dress. Mrs. RaWn fol-
lowed to the head of the stairs. Two
shots were fired. she sai.. and her hus-
band fell moaning down the stairs
Ralph q. Coburn, son n-law Of Nj
RAwn. who WAS asleep up stairs. SAIL
he also heard two shots. When he reache
he side of the dying man below MIR,
hawn was holding her husbands heat H.
her lap and crying hysterically for al
Neither Mrs Rawn nor Mr. Colurn ssE
he burglar who was supposed To- have
tired one of the shots
Mr.. Rawn lived only few miru,r.
and was unable To explain how he hAi bee,
hot An examination oi the revolN".
he carried disclosed that IL contain
Ine empty cartridge. No hulle; VA
ound to suhstantiats the firing of
second shot.
Members OF the family explain tn,
" suggesting that the burglar also was
hot. but not IN vital place In support
4 this theory they pointed to spots nn
cement walk leading from the hou-"
lose examination Of these spots late
eVesled that they were III all probability
'ainI
The screen doors were turned ont a,
they had been forced open with
mIny. Detectives who examined the~o
oOrs and others through which tho
urglar was supposed q" have passed
aid they might have been forced. but
10 the man who did the job was a novice
\ the burglary business The burglary
lue therefore il being pursued on the
heory that no practised night prowler
the guilty man
Coroner Hoffman after examining tho
light robe and the wounds said the shot
Tas fired from a weapon not over two
: three feet away Powder burns on
le garment indicated this This dis
lnce does not accord with the version
II 81. a
lmily
Mantel Clark. a neighbor Of the Rawu
lmily In winnetka. told the police that
3 saw q man running through his yard
tier the shots were fired He is the
My man heard from thus far who saw
fugitive OF a night pedestrian anywhere
! the noighborhood.
The Winnetka patrolmAn who covers
10 district around the RAwn home had
sen near tho house o few minutes before
10 shots were fired. He said he couldn't
ave been far away. but he heard no shots
Sd saw no one running
Sail another clue 10 that Mr.. RAwn was
'e victim OF an ensmy who wiahed to
It him out Of the way for business rea-
,ns. In this connection the uHnoi.
Dotral graft scandal 10 mentioned. Mr..
avn was operating uoe-prcsident Of
~ road when the fraudulent car repair
'ntracts came 20 light. A short time
'tsrward he lefs the road and became
residsnt of the MOnon.
Mr.. havn was 70 appear next Tuesday
J u witness in tho Illinois Central cases.
his suggestion the inquiry had boon
Sico postponed.
Mr.. RAwn also Ia supposed to have
nown moro about the Western Indiana
fair than was comfortable for some who
ere involved In Il. On the ground that