The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-03-03
In Memory of Son Who
Died a Leper.
MOTHER SAYS She WILL STAY
On Island With Poor UnfOr-
tunates and Be Buried
BY Sons Side.
A BRIGHT YOUNG MAN

tOn December 16, 1914, The Her.
aid printed on page a column ar
ticle about young Archie Thomas, a
youthful member of the leper colo
ny at Penikese Island, near New
Bedford. Mass. The article recited
unfortunate boy and solicited the
Kindness of other boys TO send him
postcards to cheer his lonely hours.
The following article tells of the
death of this young man and the
beautiful devotion of his mother to
his memory and to his afflicted COM
rades.)
Boston. Feb. Outstanding by
the open grave into which the body
of her only son was being lowered,
and gazing at the ten lepers who.
with their attendants, stood silently
by the mound, Mrs. Emma Thomas,
who had been the lads sole attend
! and in the leper colony on Penikese
Island. in Buzzards Bay, said yester-
| day afternoon:
- have given many years of my
/ life to caring for my boy, and |
have grown to love the others who
are afflicted as was he. | shall re-
main here and do what | can to
help the others. And when | die,
all ask is that l may be laid be-
side my SON."
Archie Thomas had just passed
his twenty-frst birthday. Though
he had been afflicted with the terri
BILE disease for many years. his
death was the result of pneumonia.
With a spirit so indomitable that it
had raised him shoulder and head
over those similarly afflicted. he had
refused to believe ne was in any
danger until it was too late.
Ill as they We're, the others who
had passed such lonely years had
insisted on attending the funeral
except two, who were too feeble TO
leave their tents. For the lad was
loved almost as much as his wild
owed mother was revered.
Archie was born in the Barbados
Islands. He and his mother years
ago came to Upton. Mass, where he
entered the High School. He was
at the head of his class for several
terms; then he became i'll. His case
puzzled physicians and he was
brought to the Massachusetts GEN
eral Hospital. Ii was found he had
leprosy, and he was condemned to
pass the rest of his life on lonely
Penikese Island.
Although friends endeavored to
dissuade her Mrs. Thomas insisted
on accompanying him and did. Per-
haps it was her presence that kept
firm his ambition and did not per-
nit him to relapse into hopeless
ness. But the boy had grit. In
some way he obtained typewriter
and it was not long before he could
use it with great experiences.
Then he read OF wireless teleg-
raphy and his spirit, more Msty
than his frail body, was stirred
anew. He received some literature,
he studied faithfully and then sent
out many letters typed with his
shrivelled fingers.
These brought him a crude wire
less apparatus, but it was enough
for him. With it he practiced until
some of those he had interested at
first inquired about him. Then
came one of the finest of wireless
outfits and Archie was supremelJ
happy. So was his mother. His
effect, he caught the news flying
through the blue to station on
Cape Cod. and the decrepit lepers
often had the news of the world at
their breakfast table.
Again his friends exerted them
selves in his behalf. His greatest
ambition was TO have a license as
} an operator. They saw that he was
} put through an examination; he
passed il with flying colors, and re-
Gently he was the proudest young
J man on earth when the Navy De-
partment sent to him its litho-
graphed license.
And his fellows on the island.
grieving over his death and sorrow
ing for his mother. are sad also be-
cause they no more will be in touch
with the outside world.