Dr. H.S. Stearns, M.D.

Having researched into the Carrie Brown murder, which took place in the East River Hotel on April 24, 1891, I noticed on one of the morgue photos the stamp of the photographer, Mr. H.S. Stearns. What I found interesting is that Dr. Stearns was a gynecologist, so why would a gynecologist need to take photos of Carrie Brown if none of her reproductive organs were missing? Or were they? Could "Jack the Ripper" of London really killed Carrie Brown? Obviously someone thought so, or else she wouldn't have been considered a possible Ripper victim in the first place.

Here is the morgue photo with the stamp of the photographer - Dr. H.S. Stearns, M.D.

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Copyright: N.Y.C. Municipal Archives

More on Dr. H.S. Stearns, M.D.

Dr. H.S. Stearns Nearly Drowned.

GREENPORT, L.I., June 16. - Dr. H.S. Stearns of New York, whose father, J.B. Stearns, has a Summer residence at West Neck, Shelter Island, was nearly drowned yesterday. His catboat overturned, and had it not been for L.N. Sanford and Capt. Lecker he would have been lost.

Source: The New York Times, June 17, 1897

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ON THE HOSPITAL STAFFS.
Physicians and Surgeons Who Were Recommended by Colleges.

APPOINTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS.
Not Much Concerned About the County Medical Society's Condemnation - What President Porter Says of the New Plan.

By the University Medical College.

Consulting Board to Bellevue Hospital. - Physician, John T. Metcalfe; surgeon, Stephen Smith.
Gouverneur Hospital. - Surgeon, John Rogers; medical and gynecological service, T.W. Cleaveland.
Fordham Hospital. - Surgeon, John T. Quigley; physician, T.J. Dunn.
City Hospital. - Physicians, C.E. Quimby, W. Coleman; surgeon, A.M. Phelps; gynecologist, H.S. Stearns; ophthalmologist, E.S. Peck; dermatologist, R. Guiteras; genito-urinary service, P.A. Morrow.
Maternity Hospital. - Obstetrician, J.C. Edgar.
Hospital for Nervous Diseases. - E.D. Fisher.
Workhouse, Almshouse and Incurables Hospital. - Surgeon, P.R. Bolton; physician, W.T. Gibb.
Randall's Island Hospital. - Physician, W.L. Stowell; surgeon, Irving S. Balcom; ophthalmologist, J.L. Barnes; dermatologist, William Bedford Brown.

The appointments of the physicians and surgeons to the various hospitals will take effect on Nov. 1.

Source: The New York Times, October 30, 1895

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PASSENGERS FROM EUROPE.

The White Star liner Majestic brought in a large number of cabin passengers from Liverpool early yesterday morning. Among them were the Rev. and Mrs. E.W. Babcock, Harry Beecher, Mr. and Mrs. A.P. Bell, G.W.G. Calder, the Rev. J.M. Cleary, Judge N.F. Cleary, Miss L.A. Davies, M.D.; Capt. and Mrs. J.H. Dorst, United States Army; Capt. J.T. Gardiner, the Rev. Thomas Groer, Dr. J.E. Harris, Dr. and Mrs. D. Hughes, B.F. Leiber, J. Lentilhon, the Right Rev. Bishop Manogue of Sacramento, Cal.; Dr. A.D. Mansfield, Dr. J.C. McCoy, Dr. McCarroll, the Rev. and Mrs. J. McLeod, Capt. T. Michel, Dr. A.C. Miller, Mr. and Mrs. H. Winthrop Sargent, Dr. H.S. Stearns, Dr. F. Turnbull, E.H. Van Ingen, Lieut. F.R. Wiswell, Commander Burr, Royal Navy; W.C. Halloway, and Dr. H.P. Loomis.

Source: The New York Times, December 19, 1890


Golf Victors at Shelter Island.
Special to The New York Times.

SHELTER ISLAND, N.Y., July 6. - Some interesting contests marked the conclusion of the tournament today for the cups offered by the Manhasset Golf Club. The final rounds were all thirty-six holes, and the match for the first trophy was well contested throughout. Otto R. Pickhardt, a Yale student, winning on the last green by one hole. He defeated L.M. Klein of New York City. The second cup was won by C.P. Rowland of New York, who defeated Stephen C. Pickhardt by 3 up and 2 to play. The third cup was taken by Dr. H.S. Stearns of Englewood, N.J., who beat F. Correll of Southampton by 7 up and 6 to play.

Source: The New York Times, July 7, 1907

Dr. Stearns' Narrow Escape.

Dr. Harry Stearns, of New York City, son of J.N. Stearns, who has a handsome cottage at West Neck, Shelter Island, narrowly escaped death by drowning on Monday morning. Dr. Stearns owes his life to the prompt and efficient efforts of Louis N. Sanford, son of C.L. Sanford, proprietor brick yard at Arshamomoque, and Capt. Decker, of the schooner Josie Crowley, which was being loaded with brick. Dr. Stearns was discovered by Capt. Decker about half a mile off the beach in Poconic Bay, clinging to an overturned boat and shouting wildly for help. His cries attracted Capt. Decker's attention and the latter called to Mr. Sanford, who was near by. The two men put off in Mr. Sanford's catboat, the Nomad. All this time Dr. Stearns' boat was being swiftly carried up the bay by the strong tide and the unfortunate man's strength was slowly giving out. The two rescuers made all possible haste and arrived before Dr. Stearns had relinquished his hold. He was hauled aboard the Nomad and the overturned sharpie was taken into tow and brought to the shore. Dr. Stearns' boat was hauled on the beach and bailed out. Afterwards he was taken to his summer home in the Nomad. Dr. Stearns told his rescuers that about 8 o'clock in the morning he had launched his boat and started for the fishing grounds, at Stearns' Point, which is within sight of his own residence. On arriving there he had thrown over the anchor. The rope attached had caught in the oarlock and the tide, which was running like a mill race, overturned the small boat, precipitating him into the water. With a presence of mind such as is seldom displayed he dove under the boat and swimming down to the anchor unfastened the rope, releasing the boat and allowing it to come to the surface. This gave him something to cling to until help came. The tide was running too strong for him to reach the Shelter Island shore, which was only a short distance away, and he was drifting far out into Peconic Bay when help arrived. - Brooklyn Times.

Source: Long Island Traveler (Southold), June 18, 1897, Page 3

The following incident occurred just a month before Carrie Brown was murdered on April 24, 1891.

TOWN TALK.

Cabman Charles Holerick, who is employed by Mr. Wash Nailor, was badly injured in an upset yesterday afternoon at the corner of Sixth and C streets southwest. In turning the corner the cab struck a projection, turned over, and fell on top of Holerick and internally injured him. The occupants of the cab, Dr. Stearns, of New York, and a lady, were badly shaken up.

Source: The Sunday Herald, March 15, 1891, Page 8

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This article appeared in the papers just one month after Carrie Brown was murdered:

A FAVORABLE REPORT.

Made on Koch's Lymph by Leading Physicians of New York.

(SPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH.)

NEW YORK, May 7. - At a meeting of the New York Academy of Medicine tonight the physicians who have been experimenting with Koch's lymph for some time submitted the results of their investigations. The facts in their reports have already been printed in the newspapers. Dr. Albert L. Loomis presided and about 100 physicians were present. The report of the observations in St. Luke's Hospital was presented by Dr. F.P. Kinnicut; Bellevue Hospital, Dr. Loomis; Mt. Sinai Hospital, Dr. H.N. Helneman; the Adirondac Sanitarium, Dr. E.L. Trudeau, and in connection with the pneumatic cabinet, Dr. C.E. Quimbey, Doctors A. Jacobi, E.C. Wendt, S. Baruch, and H.S. Stearns also made reports. Dr. Wendt said that the results were such as to encourage him to continue the use of the lymph. Dr. Loomis summed up all the reports thus:
"In this lymph we have an agent which can do much good and very great harm. We may conclude that it requires care in its use, as well as more experience with it. I am fully of the opinion that it is going to take a prominent place in the treatment of tuberculosis, and that it is going to save more lives imperiled by that disease than any other agent. Still it may kill more than it saves if we use it recklessly.

Source: The Pittsburg Dispatch, Friday May 8, 1891, Page 6

Snippets from Google Book Search on "Dr. H.S. Stearns". Unfortunately, the books in question are not full preview text; only snippet view.

From "Documents of the Senate of the State of New York, Volume 1"
New York (State) Legislature, 1892, page 1085

"The photographic department under the charge of Dr. H.S. Stearns, is provided with a complete equipment for photographing gross specimens, and especially for photo-micrography."

From "The American Journal of obstetrics and diseases of women and children, Volume 65"
W. Wood & Co., 1912, page 1030

"Dr. H.S. Stearns reported a case of toxemia of pregnancy with predominant characteristics of vomiting and icterus, and postmortem, focal degenerative areas in the liver."

From "Medical Record, Volume 45"
George Frederick Shrady, Thomas Lathrop Stedman
W. Wood, 1894

Page 25

"Tubercular Appendicitis - Dr. H.S. Stearns presented specimens from an obscure case of appendicitis of tubercular origin. The patient was a man, thirty-six years of age, both of whose parents had died of phthisis. He was taken sick on August 4th, with a chill, and severe...."

Page 673

Extreme Pulmonary Emphysema - Dr. H.S. Stearns presented a specimen of extreme emphysema of the right lung. When the sternum was removed at the autopsy the right lung bulged out several inches beyond the chest wall, and also over to the left side. The left lung was......"


From "Proceedings of meetings of the New York Pathological Society"
New York Pathological Society, s.n., 1895, page 22

LIST OF OFFICERS AND COMMITTEES FOR THE YEAR 1894.

"The autopsy was made by Dr. H.S. Stearns on January 24, 1894. The base of the left lung was found to be full of tubercular nodules the size of a pea. The apex was oedematous, the remaining portion consolidated. The whole lower half showed a fairly........."

Bad Start for Life.

Limping for the rest of his days is the penalty 19 year old Frank Olger must pay for jumping on a moving freight train at Unadilla last Saturday afternoon. His foot was so badly crushed that physicians Stearns and Butler amputated the leg two inches above the ankle.

Source: Catskill Mountain News, Friday September 8, 1909

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Shelter Island, L.I. - June 30.

The season is now under way, all the hotels being open, though there is not the full quota of guests registered. Next week the season will be in full blast. The Manhanset, situated on one of the commanding bluffs of which the island has many, is under the management of H.D.W. Lawson, who has successfully run the house previous years. Mr. Lawson is formerly of the Murray Hill Hotel, Manhattan, N.Y.
The Prospect House and Bay View House, on the Heights, are under the management of O.L. Frisbee this season. Mr. Frisbee is a thorough hotel man, having become prominent as manager of the Hotel Seminole of the Plant system at Winter Park, Fla., for several years and other well known resorts. The Prospect was formally opened last Tuesday.
All the cottages on the island are filled. Numbered among the cottage colony on the Heights Association may be mentioned the following:

(Long list of names.)

Every one of the cottages at the Manhaset colony is occupied now. Included in the colony are:

(Long list of names.)


NOTES.

At the Stearns Point colony are J.N. Stearns, the famous silk manufacturer; Dr. Stearns, J.N. Stearns, Jr., and Walter Stearns.

Source: Brooklyn Eagle, July 1, 1900, Page 38