Immaculate Conception Takes Over Camden Elks Franchise in South Jersey Cage League
Camden Courier-Post - January 26, 1928
New Entrant to Retain Six of Elks Players
Lennox, Cunneff, Hyde, Deighan, Boone, and Burns to Play With ‘Irish’
Millers Nose Out Elks
By Tom Ryan
When Millville handed the Camden Elks there [sic] second straight reverse in the second-half race of the South Jersey Basketball League by beating them 30–26 at the Convention Hall Annex last night it saw the finish of the Elks as a member of that circuit. The Elks sustained their first defeat at Bridgeton last Tuesday night when the “Moose” turned in a 26–23 victory.
“Immaculate Conception has taken over the Camden Elks franchise and will finish out the second half schedule under the name of Immaculate Conception.”
That’s the bombshell Jim Mulligan, manager of the “fightin’ Irish,” dropped in local basketball circles when he made the above announcement today.”
“I talked the matter over with Larry Callahan, who has been handling the Elks, after Camden hand [sic] dropped their second league game to Millville last night at the Convention Hall and Callahan agreed to surrender the franchise to Immaculate Conception,” continued “Big Jim.”
To Retain Six Local Players
“The players signed by the Elks are our property now, but I’ll be forced to cut some of them loose in order to retain some of the Immaculate players whom I think are plenty good enough for the South Jersey League. I’m going to keep Hughey Lennox, Joe Hyde, Harry Cunneff, Joe Burns, George Boone and Neil Deighan, all local players who go with the franchise, but will have to drop the other Camden players. Bart Sheehan, Bernie Maguire and Roger Brown are the Immaculate Conception players who will be retained in order to round out the South Jersey League roster.”
“1 [sic] would have liked to have retained Joe Scrone, but he informed me last night that he had been offered a job with Salem, and when he told the financial inducements they had offered him, I told him to go ahead and sign with them, for I could not pay him that much money. I consider Scrone one of the best men in the league, but rather than have him with us and be dissatisfied, I thought it best to let him sign where he pleased.”
“Dolin and Richelderfer would hardly fit in with my plans, so they also are free to join any other club in the league.”
“In taking over the Elks franchise, we must relinquish our Camden County League franchise, as we will be not be able to compete in both leagues. We also ask permission of the League to change our home-playing night to Monday instead of Wednesday, which has always been Camden’s night to play their home games, as we can only obtain the Catholic High School gym on Monday nights.
Must Assume Elks Standing
“We will start under a big handicap as we will have to assume the Elks league standing of two losses and no wins, but I feel certain we can make a respectable showing during the remainder of the season,’’ concluded Mulligan.
The transfer of the Elks franchise had been hinted at more than once during the past two weeks, due to lack of patronage at the home games. Callahan, one of the best sportsmen in the city, is “stuck” for several hundred dollars. He lost plenty last year, but decided he would make another attempt to make the club a success but to no avail.
However, it is thought that the entrance of Immaculate Conception will solve the difficulty here, as the “Irish” have one of the largest followings of any club in South Jersey.
Better marksmanship from the 15-foot mark during the last few minutes of play enabled the Millers to turn back Camden last night. Coach Roy Steele again started Neil Deighan at center with Hughey Lennox up in front alongside of Joe Scone [sic]. Captain Joe Hyde and Harry Cunneff did guard duty.