Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1910 — PRESIDENT RAWN OF MONON IS KILLED [ARTICLE]

PRESIDENT RAWN OF MONON IS KILLED

Mystery Shrouds Death of the Railway Chief i Varoius theories exist as to the manner in which Ira G. Rawn, president of Jthe Monon railroad, was killed in his summer home at Winnetka. Members of the family present at the time say he was murdered by a burglar. Otners hold to the burglar theory, believe • k Mr- Rawn may have started down stairs to meet a man, supposed to be in the house, but that instead of being shot by the burglar, he tripped in his night robe and accidentally pulled the trigger of his own revolver as he was falling. A third story, which is presented by members of the family and by subordinate officials of the Monon, was the Mr, Rawn took his own life, being prompted by worry and sleeplesness over scandals which have developed in the last few weeks In the affairs of the Western Indiana road of

which lawn is a director, and of the Illinois Central of which he was vice president in charge of operaton until last fall just shortly before startling charges of graft became known in the official directorate of the Illinois Central road. Mrs. Rawn says she was awakened shortly after 1 o’clock in the morning by a noise as of someone at a door downstairs. She told Mr. Rawn of the noise and he took his revolver, against her protest, and started quietly down the front stairway in his night dress. Mrs. Rawn followed to the head of the stairways. Two shots were fired, 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 the revolver he carried disclosed that It contained one empty cartridge. No bullet was found to substantiate the firing of a second shot. Members of the family suggested that the burglar also was shot, but not in a vital place. In support of this idea they pointed to spots on a cement walk leading from the house, close examination of which disclosed that they were in all probability paint. The burglar clew is being pursued on the theory that no practiced night prowler is the guilty man. Coroner Hoffman, after examining the night robe and wounds of the dead man. said the shot was fired from a weapon not over twi or three feet away. Powder burns indicated this.This distance does not accord with the version given by family members. Still another clew is that Mr. Rawn was the victim of an enemy who wished to get him out of the way for business reasons. In this connection the Illinois Central scandal is mentioned. Mr. Rawn was operating vice president of that load at the time the tradulent car repair contracts came to light. A short time afterward he left the road and became president of the Monon. Mr. Rawn was to have appeared next Tuesday as a witness in the Illinois Central cases which has twice been postponed at his suggestion. Mr. Rawn also is supposed to have known more than was comfortable for some who are involved In the affairs of the Western Indiana. On the ground that some one feared the revelations Mr. Rawn might make regarding these matters, the business enemy theory is based.