Patrick Bohan
Encyclopedia
Patrick "Burly" Bohan was an American saloonkeeper and owner of The Doctor's, a popular Park Row
dive bar
and hangout for panhandlers and professional beggars known as the "Bowery Bums". Many of his patrons "preyed upon the public by simulating cripples" and Bohan, according to crime historian Herbert Asbury
, provided a locker for storing crutch
es and cane
s while these panhandlers spent their money on whiskey, rum
and liquified camphor
.
The establishment also served as a hotel where, against the rear wall of the building, two long tables and the space underneath were rented for a nickel
. Among its most famous residents were Tom Frizzell, known as "King of the Panhandlers", and Jack Dempsey. Bohan himself is described as living somewhat extravagantly wearing "flashing diamonds on his shirt bosom".
On the morning of July 25, 1904, an argument between Bohan and his bartender Jerry O'Connor resulted in a vicious barfight involving at least eleven other customers. The incident began when the two began arguing over O'Connor's wages for the week and, becoming more heated, O'Connor pulled out a revolver and shot Bohan twice. One shot hit Bohan in the right side of the head and a second one to the left hand. The bar was filled with customers at the time, all of whom were friends of Bohan, and they immediately set upon O'Connor. They all "helped in treating O'Connor about as badly as they could" as the bartender was "hustled from one place to the other, and punched and kicked". By the time the police arrived, O'Connor had been beaten unconscious and most likely had a fractured skull.
The shots had been heard by detectives McDonnell and Maher of the Oak Street Precinct and ran to the hotel where they had to force their way inside with drawn revolvers. After breaking up the fight, they had a patrolman call for an ambulance to take both men away. One eventually arrived from the Hudson Street Hospital. Both Bohan and O'Connor were charged by police, O'Connor for felonious assault and Bohan for misdemeanor assault, while all involved were arrested as "suspicious persons" and held as witnesses. One man, local printer Frank Murphy, was charged with disorderly conduct
.
Park Row
Park Row may refer to:* Park Row , a street in downtown Manhattan* Park Row Building, 1899 Manhattan skyscraper* Park Row a BMT elevated train terminal bordering the Manhattan street* Park Row , a 1952 film by Samuel Fuller...
dive bar
Dive bar
A dive bar is a type of bar or pub. Dive bars generally have a relaxed and informal atmosphere—they are often referred to by local residents as "neighborhood bars," where people in the neighborhood gather to drink and socialize...
and hangout for panhandlers and professional beggars known as the "Bowery Bums". Many of his patrons "preyed upon the public by simulating cripples" and Bohan, according to crime historian Herbert Asbury
Herbert Asbury
Herbert Asbury was an American journalist and writer who is best known for his true crime books detailing crime during the 19th and early 20th century such as Gem of the Prairie, Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld and The Gangs of New York...
, provided a locker for storing crutch
Crutch
Crutches are mobility aids used to counter a mobility impairment or an injury that limits walking ability.- Types :There are several different types of crutches:...
es and cane
Cane
Cane are either of two genera of tall, perennial grasses with flexible, woody stalks from the family Poaceae that grow throughout the world in wet soils. They are related to and may include species of bamboo. The genus Arundo is native from the Mediterranean region to the Far East. Arundinaria...
s while these panhandlers spent their money on whiskey, rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
and liquified camphor
Camphor
Camphor is a waxy, white or transparent solid with a strong, aromatic odor. It is a terpenoid with the chemical formula C10H16O. It is found in wood of the camphor laurel , a large evergreen tree found in Asia and also of Dryobalanops aromatica, a giant of the Bornean forests...
.
The establishment also served as a hotel where, against the rear wall of the building, two long tables and the space underneath were rented for a nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
. Among its most famous residents were Tom Frizzell, known as "King of the Panhandlers", and Jack Dempsey. Bohan himself is described as living somewhat extravagantly wearing "flashing diamonds on his shirt bosom".
On the morning of July 25, 1904, an argument between Bohan and his bartender Jerry O'Connor resulted in a vicious barfight involving at least eleven other customers. The incident began when the two began arguing over O'Connor's wages for the week and, becoming more heated, O'Connor pulled out a revolver and shot Bohan twice. One shot hit Bohan in the right side of the head and a second one to the left hand. The bar was filled with customers at the time, all of whom were friends of Bohan, and they immediately set upon O'Connor. They all "helped in treating O'Connor about as badly as they could" as the bartender was "hustled from one place to the other, and punched and kicked". By the time the police arrived, O'Connor had been beaten unconscious and most likely had a fractured skull.
The shots had been heard by detectives McDonnell and Maher of the Oak Street Precinct and ran to the hotel where they had to force their way inside with drawn revolvers. After breaking up the fight, they had a patrolman call for an ambulance to take both men away. One eventually arrived from the Hudson Street Hospital. Both Bohan and O'Connor were charged by police, O'Connor for felonious assault and Bohan for misdemeanor assault, while all involved were arrested as "suspicious persons" and held as witnesses. One man, local printer Frank Murphy, was charged with disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct is a criminal charge in most jurisdictions in the United States. Typically, disorderly conduct makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such...
.