William "Skippy" Rohan
| William "Skippy" Rohan | |
|---|---|
| Born |
July 5, 1871 United States |
| Died | January 8, 1916 (aged 44) United States |
| Other names | Skippy |
| Occupation | Gangster |
William "Skippy" Rohan (July 5, 1871 - January 8, 1916) was a St. Louis gangster and an original member of Egan's Rats.
Born as William J. Ruane, Rohan grew up in North St. Louis's "Kerry Patch" neighborhood. As a young man, he found his way into many of the street gangs inhabiting his district. "Skippy" was known as a tough street fighter with nerves of steel. He didn't hesitate to attack police officers who attempted to stop him from committing crimes. Despite having a prominent chipped front tooth, Rohan was considered a ladies' man. People often commented on his half-lidded eyelids, which gave him a perpetually sleepy expression. No matter how many times he was arrested and thrown in the City Workhouse, Skippy Rohan was known as the wildest crook in the Kerry Patch. In 1892, two St. Louis detectives caught Rohan in a "stick-up". Skippy drew his revolver and shot one before he could react. The other detective was pistol-whipped so hard his skull was fractured. Rohan was only caught when a uniformed patrolman happened upon the scene and shot Skippy in the leg.
By 1896, Skippy Rohan was associated with the Ashley Street Gang (the embryonic Egan's Rats). Most of the Ashley Street boys were just sneak thieves at this time and were awed to be hooked up with a notorious crook like Skippy Rohan, who took a primary position in the fledgling gang. He grew especially close to gangster Tom Egan. On June 16, 1897, Skippy Rohan was accused of shooting and killing a saloonkeeper named Casper Biemfohr during a robbery gone bad. Skippy and his pals had been on a crime spree that week, and the police set out to find the young thug. Skippy took refuge in "The Rookery", a large tenement at Fifteenth and O'Fallon streets that was crowded with refugees, criminals, and garbage. The cops finally surprised him in the alley behind 1218 Fifteenth Street. Skippy fought for his life, gouging, swinging, and biting. Even his girlfriend, Alice Parsons, tried to fight the police. Skippy was finally pistol-whipped unconscious and hauled off to jail.
Skippy's sister Catherine was married to a low-level member of the Ashley Street Gang named Carl Lohrman, who idolized his wild brother-in-law. While Skippy was locked up in the city jail, he was convinced that Lohrman was responsible for his arrest. On August 9, 1897, Carl Lohrman was lured to a meeting at Snake Kinney's saloon at Second and Carr with Tom Egan and John "Guinea Mack" McAuiliffe. As he left, Lohrman was stabbed to death at the corner of Sixth and Carr.
Despite the murder of the suspected snitch, Skippy Rohan made plans to avoid the hangman's noose on his own. On August 30, 1897, Rohan escaped from the St. Louis Workhouse along with Buck O'Malley and "Sport" Heffernan. Rohan would later claim he bribed a jailer to gain access to materials that led to his break. After robbing a local saloon for funds, he and his fellow escapees fled to Chicago, where they were re-captured four months later. Skippy Rohan was ultimately acquitted of the murder of Casper Beimfohr on May 22, 1898. While he was sent to prison on unrelated robbery charges, Rohan declared that he had found the Lord and reformed.
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