Person Page - 43

Tell Woman, 76, To Quit Country After 51 Years

Immigration Officials Inform Puzzled Mrs. Thompson She'll Be Deported

Faced with deportation from this country unless she leaves of her own volition within the next three months, Mrs. Harriet Alice Thompson,76, sat in her modest three-room flat at 59 Sullivan st., Charlestown, last night, and expressed her bewilderment over the sudden threat to her continued residence there.

A native of Maidstone, England, which she left for the United States as a young woman 51 years ago, Mrs. Thompson has received word from immigration officials at East Boston that as a result of investigation of complaints that she is an alien and illegally residing in this country, she must leave the country before Sept. 26 or face deportation proceedings.

Mystified by Notice

"I don't know what all this is about," she said, referring to the notice she received on Tuesday from S. H. Howes, Boston district director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. "My last husband, John Parker Thompson, died in February, 1938, and I have been under the impression that I became a citizen when 1 married him in 1932.

"This same question arose once before when Mr. Thompson was alive and we were living in Winchester. At that time I went to Boston and offered to take out naturalization papers, but was told that because my husband was an American citizen such procedure wasn't necessary."

White of hair and mild mannered, her alertness belying her years, Mrs. Thompson lives with her granddaughter, Bernice Elizabeth Gray, 17, in their neat little home in the shadow of Bunker Hill Monument. She has been married three times. Her first husband was George Edward Bezanson, a native of Nova Scotia, who died in Wellesley. Her second husband, from whom she was separated after a number of years, she believed died in Nova Scotia.

Wed Indian War Veteran

Her third marriage was to Mr. Thompson, Indian War veteran, with whom she lived in Winchester. She has three children living, two sons and a daughter. Her granddaughter, Bernice, will enter Charlestown High School in the Fall.

Although receiving only a few dollars a week from the Welfare Department, Mrs. Thompson is happy in her present home and surroundings and dreads the thought of parting from her granddaughter.

Warren L. Bishop, former district attorney of Middlesex County, who has been acquainted with Mrs. Thompson for many years, is representing her in the case.¹³

Letter From a Soldier

Praise For Australia By Charlestown Boy

Priv. Burton A. Gray in a letter to his sister, Bernice Gray, 59 Sullivan st., Charlestown speaks in praise of the people of Australia. He writes:

"Dear Sis: Received your very welcome letter. I was very pleased to hear from you. I can't see why you have received no mail. I must have written at least three letters to you.

"How are you? Hope you are doing all right. Have any of your songs been published? Is there a song at home entitled 'This is no time for Tears?' Boy, it is really beautiful. A boy here with me wrote it. He is here writing at the table. He sent the song home but has received no word of it. If you hear it please write and tell us.

"As you may have heard, I am one of the boys in the many expeditionary forces to the Pacific. We had a wonderful time in Australia; the people were wonderful to us. But
we had to leave for New Caledonia. It is really nice here, though the country is semi-tropical, palm, coconut, orange, banana trees, etc. The people are very friendly especially the girls. They come in three colors, white, black and yellow. We are living in the homes of Japs who left in a hurry. We have hot and cold running water, showers and a beautiful white beach to swim in, al- though one man has to be on guard with a loaded rifle all the time to protect us from sharks. Boy, they are bad. Some are as big as elephants.

"Well, I've got to go on duty so will write soon. Please write soon. Write and write some more.

"All my love,
"Buddy."

Private Gray's home was with his sister and his grandmother, Mrs. Harriet Thompson, now in her 80th year, at 59 Sullivan st. He was born in Cambridge and resided in Waltham, where he attended the Waltham Trade School and learned mechanics and carpentry. He enlisted in the United States Army about five years ago. Another sister, Lina Gray, resided at the Harvard Club. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Merton F. Gray.¹⁴