New Britain herald., 1917-05-17
BODY FALLS INTO RIVER

April 2, Two Days After Company
 Lett New Britain to Do Guard
 Duty,
 Especial to the Herald).
 Norwich. May 17.-The lifeless body of Private Attilio Jiantonio. IS years old, e member of Company I, First Connectiout Infantry. under command of Captain A. H. Griswold, who had been mysteriously missing since April z, two days after Company was sent out from New Britain for guard duty. was found floating in the water of the Thames river near tho railroad bridge by a detail of Company mon in charge of Sergeant Garfield !. Mercy this morning. The dead sol- dier's family in this city was at once notifled and arrangements are being made this afternoon for the funeral. at which full military honors will be accorded the deceased.
 Strange Mystery Solved.
 The finding of Private Jiantonio's body this morning cleared up one of the strangest mysteries connected with the First Regiment in many years. Soon after Company I detrained at Norwich and set up in barracks at the state armory there various guard de- tails were thrown out about the town and It strategic points and on Satur- day, April q, Private Jiantonio was stationed as . guard on the railroad bridge spanning the Thames river. At $40 p. m. the corporal of the guard visited this, particular outpost and talked with the young soldier. who was doing his duty as usual. At D. m when the relief guard came up Private Jiantonio was nowhere to be seen and g. most dilagent search failed to locate him. An, augmented guard secured tho neighborhood and interviewed many persons, but mo- where could any trace of the soldier be found. The river bed beneath the bridge was also searched and laying in a few feet of water about fifteen feet from the bank was found the missing mans rifle. Except for one cartridge found on the trestle over- head this was the only thing belong inx to the guard that was ever fou1d until the body was' discovered thia morning. Complete reports concerns ing the disappearance of the soldier ] were made and, according to military 1 rules, when he had been missing ten days he was posted as deserter. Many stories were rife concerning the young soldiers whereabouts. Some people declared that he had been seen in New Britain. Others said that he had been murdered and there was another report to the effect that he had escaped to New York and was undergoing treatment in . hospital there. All were without foundation. however, and Captain A. H. Griswold and his men continued to hold to their original belief that Private Jiantonio | was dead and that eventually his body would be given up by tho waters of the Thames. In this they were cor rect.
 Probably Hit By Tfaan. Captain Griswold stated this noon that the place where Private Jian- ] tonio's dead body wxs found is one of 1 the worst on the entire river. Beneath
 the bridge there is a ledge of rock In the river bottom which drops many
 feet into deep water The current
 here Is strong and the undertow. and i swirling waters make 1t hard to dra8 l the river. It is said at this particular place there have been many drown 1 ing fatalities in the past and in many l instances the bodies were never re- covered. Captain Griswold holds the
 opinion that Private Jiantonio's body must have been swept beneath the
 abutments of the bridge and held
 there in deep water until some new freak of the. current dtslodged 1t to- :! day.
 The remains were turned over to
 Coroner Flanklin H. Brown who found l! that the back of the head and neck was crushd in, indicating, the com-
 manding officer thinks. that the sol dier was struck by train and thrown into the swfrhng water beneath. The location of the wounds on the back of the soldiers head would indicate
 it is said, that tho victim had been sitting on the railroad track. possibly
 asleep. and been struck by the cylinder head of the locomotive as it swept past.
 Leaves Several Relatives.
 Private Jiantonio is brother of
 James Jiantonio. who is the bugler o1
 Company I. He leaves his parents AsAA. eiAN AsAA D. ! ~OAeS ~Ae%AVSAA0 VI SA Elm street, two other brothers, Joseph
 and Guido Jiantonio and sister, Miss Nina Jiantonio. The dead youth was serving his second enlistment in Com
 pay I when he met his death. His
 first enlistment expired about a year ago and re-enlisted last February (Continued on Eleventh Page) s I( WEATHER.