The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-10-20
ATTEMPTS FAIL
 TO RECOVER BODY
 OF WILLIAMS BOY
His Cap Found Floating in the HousatOnic Long Distance
 From Fatal Spot.
Especial to The Farmer.)

| Especial to The Farmer.)
 | Stratford, Oct. 20-The death of
 Winfield Williams which occurred on Saturday under circumstances which l will always be a mystery, has been the general topic of conversation in town for two days The season had so far advanced that the people of the town had hopes of escaping the annual toll 1 of human life demanded by Old Hou- satonic. The victim, in his instance, was a boy not yet 16, bright and capa- ble, who possessed caution and judg- ment beyond that usually expected of one of his years. The story of his 1 death is one of the saddest in the his 1 tory of fatalities upon the river. All summer the boy had operated a motor
 boat and had taken out many parties for outings upon the river and along | the beaches. He was well acquainted with the currents of the treacherous river and also with the shores of the Sound. He often took parties to Long Island and was complimented upon his ability as boatman and his careful
 ness and anxiety for the safety of his passengers His grandmother and Mrs. l John Bond were sisters and the boy was dear to the heart of Capt. John Bond who took great pleasure in his l company. The gun which probably | caused the death of the boy was a | present from Uncle John'' a short time ago.
 l The boy planned for ducking ex- i petition down the river Saturday morning He got ready the motor boat | Violo M owned by Capt. Bond and 1 started down the river before day had 1 fully broken. He returned later, how II ever on account of the rog and made l another start about 8 o'clock He
 started the motor and disappeared
 down the river, having a skim in tow
 of the larger boat. This was the last
 seen of the boy alive. At 10 o'clock
 MT. Maritime, a, resident Of south end,
 while fishing on the stone jetty, dis covered the motor boat with the skif
 in tow chugging about sometimes in
 one direction, then seized by a. surrent
 and changing it's course. No human hand guided its movements and the
 attention of Charles Andrews, who
 knew the Williams boy well, was call
 ed to the strange course of the boats.
 MT. Andrews intercepted the motor
 boat the next time it appeared near
 the jetty and getting on board stopped the motor. He was mortified when he Il found the stern of the motor boat I soaked with blood with occasional 1 pieces of mangled flesh, mute tale of l horrible tragedy.
 The boats were brought back to their l accustomed moor1ngs at Capt. Bond s dock and parties were immediately 1 organized to search for the boy As
  l river at Knel1's Island it was thought 1 that the boy might have gotten to the shore and found refuge on the island or that some other solution of the mystery might be found which would relieve the suspense in the hearts of those interested in the boy. No trace of him was found until yesterday noon when a cap, identified as belongingato the missing boy, was found in the vii cinity of the shell piles across the river from Bonds dock. The search was kept up until dark Saturday night and
 was resumed yesterday morning at II daylight
 Friends lost all hope yesterday when Il daylight came and no trace of the lit tie fellow had been found.
 | The boy was the son of Winfield l Williams, a seaman in the U. $. navy who was at one time one of the crew Of Admiral Gherardi's yacht. The whereabouts of the father is unknown to the boys relatives here. He left IStratford several years ago. The boy made his home with William Bedell. the well known ship builder, for years and was known to some as Winfield BedelI. For a year he has lived with Capt. Bond. He attended the Center school and was well liked by teachers and scholars.
 Mrs. williams reached stratfoFd yes
 terday in response to a telegram and
 is heartbroken over the fate of her
 son. Capt. John Bond, who is in poor
 health, had planned to leave for Flor ida in a few days, but will now post . pone the trip. The shock and anxiety have added to his ailments and he was
 unable to see any of his friends yes- : terday.
 The fact that the gun with an ex- ploded shell in each barrel was found lin the skiff are evidence that the death of young Williams was accidental and i that the ruInors that he had been foul 1y dealt with were unwarranted.
 1 Old rivermen do not expect to find
 the body for several days if it is ever , found. The large number Of boats
 which were engaged in dragging the river for the body had very little in- . formation as to the locality to work upon and the body may have foated
 miles away in either direction before any attempt was made to recover it.