The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-20
BLIND, STEERS PRAYS TO SEE
OLD POLICE INSPECTOR SIRE
ms SIGHT VIII cow mack.


n % Does. Bseaa.e NeiEhbOrs Ars
Intercstesi- DoOtSrs see . Chancs
mat the Optic Nerve WIN Revive,
Washington Height. l. waiting ear
nsstly 20 hear the sound Of a great bell and
orlOs 81 -EnrSkAl Eurokai' for these arS
TIN signals that OF Police inspector Steers
has Agrosd To make In casS hl- religious
faith and his prayer avail to restore his
ii Rht ~ him. has bssn totally blind
.lnOs June and he IL 10 yearu old, but la
says no fesls sure he viii bs able to s"r
again. because all his lIfs time. and par
t!Cularly ia III" last forty Year, Of Il. h"
has bssn a conslstent Christian.
M many Of the people among whom ne
has lived In the Washington Heights
section for years have shown interest In
hIs case that no has told them that he will
throw open his window the moment his
sight comos saok to him and will jangle
the big Dsll hs Keeps In his room. calling
out meantime In the Greek 10 let all know
that the Stfsctual fsrvent prayer Of a
righteous man availsth much
Ths medical slide Of his case too gives
him spms hops that he will bs able to see
again The cause Of the blindness was
q pus condition In the nose. because Of
an old eatGrrh. which pressed on the
optic nerve An earlier Inflammation
u the nerve has subsidized. but the apa-
thstio condition Of the nerve and the age
Of tine patient are the things that make IL
doubtful IL he can regain his sight The
doctors who were called In In the case
are DR. Alfred Wiener Of eio Madison
avenue. who 10 now In Europe. and DR.
Henry Steers Holland Of secs Broadway
DR. Holland " y grandson OF the former
inspector
Inspector Steers makes his home with
his son in law. Charles II Holland, and
his daughter. Mrs Holland. at I7s West
l62d street He has lived there for years
He was there when he was still on the
police force-and he has been retired since
lse2-oecause IL was by investment IN
Washington Heights property years ago
that he prospered And all the time he
has been there. he has been prominent
In the Washington Heights Methodist
Episcopal Church. which Is at Amsterdam
avenue and ISSd street Only last sun
day the choir Of the church came over
TO his place and sang hymns for him
i have been a consistent Christian for
years said Inspector Steers yesterday
and for that reason | am sure my sight
will come back to me have prayed ever
since / became blind that | might see
I to to and
the pain an INV eyes has disappeared I
beli"y" that the flashes that have come
before NV syee in the last two or three
weeks are signs that ! am to have my
sight again Faith IN God and a Arm
seek But Il they do not. shall Of
course resi- gn my self az a Christian to what
~ appointed for me
Inspector Steers saws he has had many
letters from persons who heard Of his
blindness and many visits from those who
hav" sympathy With him. These things
hsV" helped him greatly
Henry Van Wart Steers ~ the fun name
Of the former police officer He Was born
m IsS2 IN Sing Sing. y Y His father.
Henry Steers, was a police captain before
hun After working IN New YORK city
for Some years as a journeymAn ship car
pentsr Steers joined the polic- force
He was made a patrolman on November
~. 1887. In the two yesrs and few
months before b" became roundsman
he saved seven per-on- from drowning
and was once IA great danger Of losing
his own hfe lie went from roundsrnan
IA 1897. to captain IN April, lS7t. In April.
ISs5. he became AN Inspector. II was IN
MAY ispo. that Bvrne- was made superin-
I-nd.nt of the polio" force and to sIcCeed
hun Steers VAS appointed chief Inspector
IN charge Of the detective bureau IL WAS
thus pIac" that he resigned on October
following, retiring with tension 81 g. 500