The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-07-21
SUICIDE ';IlIDiii: I THEORY 81
IS REPUDIATED.
Relatives Insist RaWn Killed
By Burglar.
! STORIES VARY GREATLY

Coroner Says Shot Fired From Dis.
tsncs Of Two or Three Feot, Which
Does Not Agree With WIfe's Yer.
sion Of Trssedy-Business Assooi
stes Profess Belief That Enemy
Who Feared Revelations In West
ern Indiana Scandals Is Guilty.
Chicago, July 81. - Ira G. Rawn
president Of the Monon railroad, was
slot TO death W his summer home
In Winnetka. Members Of his family
say he was murdered by burglar
others who hold TO the burglar the
ory believe Mr.. Rawn may have
started down stairs to meet man
supposed to be In the house, but that
instead of being shot by the burglar
he tripped in HE nightrobe and acct.
6entally pulled the trigger of his
own revolver as he was falling. A
third theory, which Is resented by
members Of the family and by sub.
ClSinate officials of the Monon, was
that Mr.. Rawn took his own life, be.
ing prompted by worry and sleepless.
Eoss over the scandals which have
developed In the last week in the af.
ffirs 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 operation
until last fall.
Mrs. Rawn SAYS she was awakened
by noise of someone at a door
down stairs. She told Mr.. Rawn OF
the noise and he took his revolver
against her protest, and started qui.
etly down the front stairway in his
night dress. Mrs. Rawn followed to
the head of the stairway. Two shots
were fred. she said, and her husband
fell moaning down the stairway.
Mr.. Rawn lived only a few minutes
and was unable to explain how he
had been shot. An examination OF
thetrevolver he carried disclosed that
1t contained one empty cartridge.
No bullet was found to substantiate
the firing of second shot. Members
Of the family explain this by suggest
ing that the burglar also was shot,
but not in a vital place. In support
Of this theory they pointed to Spots
on a cement walk leading from the
house. Close examination of these
spots later revealed that they were
In sall probability paint. The screen
doors were pointed out as having
been forced open with Jimmy. De.
tectives who examined these doors
and others through which the burglar
was supposed to have passed said
they might have been forced, but II
so the man who did the Job was
novice in the burglary business. rhe
burglary clew, therefore, is being
pursued on the theory that no prac.
uced night prowler is the guilty man.
Coroner Hoffman, after examining
the night robe and the wounds Of the
dead man. said the shot was fired
from a weapon not over two or three
feet away Powder burns on the gar.
ment indicated this. This distance
does not accord with the version Of
the tragedy recited by members Of
the family.
was the victim OF an enemy who
wished to get him out OF the way for
business reasons. In this connection
the Illinois Central graft scandal Is
mentioned. Mr.. Rawn was operating
Vice president of the road at the time
the fraudulent car repair contracts
came to light. A short time after.
ward he left the road and became
president Of the Monon. Mr.. Rawn
was to appear next Tuesday as a
witness In the Illinois Central cases
At his suggestion the inquiry had
been twice postponed
Mr.. Rawn is supposed TO have
known more about the Western In.
diana affairs than was comfortable
for some who were involved in 1t. On
the ground that someone feared the
revelations Mr.. Rawn might make
regarding these matters, the business
enemy theory 10 based. Those who
hold TO the suicide theory believe Mr..
Rawn was worried over a prospective
examination and orossexamination on
the witness stand. While 1t Is not
even intimated that he was involved
wrongfully in the car repair transac-
TONS. 1t is thought he may have
feared the imputation that he was
not sufficiently yigilant as an official.
OF the road in preventing them.
Rawn was born in Delaware, O.,
and began his career as railroader
by learning telegraphy. His wife is
also native OF that city.