Andrew J. McMahon

Andrew J. McMahon was born February 14, 1895. A fine athlete as a youth, he boxed both as an amateur and as a professional, was a star in the old Eastern Basketball League, played with number of semi-pro baseball clubs, and was well known as a baseball and basketball referee.

Andrew J. McMahon ran unsuccessfully for the New Jersey State Assembly in 1933 and 1934. A Democrat, he backed Edward J. Kelleher in the bitter fight to wrest control of the Democrat party in Camden County from Harry Maloney and Emma Hyland. In August of 1935 newly elected Mayor George Brunner named Andrew McMahon as commissioner of the city’s municipal baseball league. He served as a Freeholder from Camden’s 14th Ward in the mid-1930s, and played a role in bringing Civil Service protection to Camden County employees. By 1947 he was a Commissioner on the Camden County Jury Commission.

By 1947 Andrew J. McMahon made his home at 1095 Trent Road in Camden. He would reside on Trent Road until his passing in December of 1976.

Andy Is Father of Eight-Pound Boy; Popular Referee Receiving Congratulations

Former Athlete Reaffirms Stand in Favor of Municipal Power Plant

$9333 Expense Incurred In Light Plant Hearings

The cost of the Public Service light plant suit was increased yesterday.

The cost for the day was $350.25 for taking 3 hours of testimony, nearly $120 an hour.

Examiners heard 129 witnesses and 300 subpoenas were issued. The costs were subdivided as follows: issuing 300 subpoenas, 50 cents each, $150; constables’ fees for serving subpoenas, 35 cents each, $105; swearing of witnesses, 25 cents each, $32.25; 150 folios of testimony taken, 30 cents each, $150, and $18 for examiners’ fees.

Andrew J. McMahon, of 2993 Sumter road, who was the only candidate for public office last year to come out openly in favor of a municipally owned and operated light plant, was one of 129 witnesses who testified yesterday in the light plant suit.

McMahon, who ran for Assembly last year, and who is again a candidate for the same office, was subpoenaed by Public Service.

He identified his signature when shown a photostatic copy of the light plant petition and in answer to a question by Leland Taliaferro, of Public Service counsel, as to why he signed, declared: “I signed a petition addressed to the City Commissioners for the electric light plant.”

“Did you read the petition,” he was asked, as is every witness.

“I did,” he replied.

“Can you tell me what was in it?” asked Taliaferro, referring to the preamble.

“I have a general idea what was in it,” replied McMahon. “It requested that there be a referendum on the question whether the city should construct and operate its own lighting plant. As a candidate, I stumped for it.”

“Are you still for it?”

“Yes, and I am still stumping for it.”

After he left the stand in the courtroom of Examiner William B. Macdonald, McMahon made the following statement:

“While the lighting plant was approved by the voters at the polls at the last general election, as a candidate for the Assembly this year, I pledge if elected, to do everything in my power to bring the plant to a successful conclusion.

“I was informed by Harry L. Maloney that my public statement last year advocating the light plant was the cause of my defeat.

“I want to make it perfectly plain that if it should again cause my defeat, that I am still of the same opinion. The city should own its own electric light plant. I am for it 100 percent. The people have spoken in favor of it; overwhelmingly so. They should be listened to.”

McMahon is a candidate on the Kelleher-Irving ticket. Last year he had the backing of the Maloney-Hyland faction.

There were 13 names asked stricken off by Public Service at yesterday’s hearings.

They were C. C. Reed, 1000 North Twenty-sixth street; Lizzie M. Anderson, 2732 Garfield avenue; Michael Damico, 1623 Collings road, and Joseph Catanusto, 277 Chestnut street; V. Harriett Nettleton, 2742 Carman street; Charles Corbett, 1717 South Fourth street; Charles Porter, 3048 Mickle street; Mrs. Lucy Morton, 867 Central avenue; David L. King, 3077 Carman street; Pauline Carty, 622 Erie street; John Forant, 526 North Sixth street; Mae Guenther, 632 North Twenty-fourth street, and Emma L. Browning, 413 Stevens street.

Popular Sports Official Succeeds Fulton as President of Circuit

Lodge, Sheehan and Roye to Speak at Democratic Rallies

All three Democratic Assembly nominees—Henry Lodge, Bartholomew Sheehan and Harry Roye—will speak tonight at three Roosevelt rallies, one at Magnolia and the others in Collingswood and the Ninth ward, Camden. Announcement was made they also will be on hand at three other Roosevelt meetings tonight.

The other rallies tonight will include Crescent Park, at Oaklyn, Pennsauken and the Fourth, Twelfth and Thirteenth wards.

—At Collingswood rally will be conducted this afternoon, at 5:30 o’clock, at 784 Haddon avenue, that borough. Lodge will be the principal speaker at the Ashland rally, to be held at the hall of Ashland Fire Company, under sponsorship of the Ashland Democratic Club.

—The other Ashland speakers will include Edward J. Kelleher, Camden county campaign manager; former Freeholder Elmer J. Westcott, Frank Larrio, Grover Rickards, Mrs. Bartoluzzi Francone, Jr., J. William Brooks, Samuel Green, Judge Samuel Alpern, County Board of Elections, and Benjamin Daide.

The Magnolia rally, sponsored by the Roosevelt Democratic Society, will be held at the fire hall there at Roosevelt and Westwood avenues, Magnolia. The speakers will include Sheehan, Roye and Lodge and Daniel J. Galpern, Irving, Guy Lee, Jr., nominee for Judge of Magistrates Court, and George E. Brunner, of Camden, state committeeman; Howard Callingwood; Daniel West, Mildred Yemmans, Mrs. Emma E. Hyland, Democratic state committeewoman; Oliver H. Bond, Kelleher, Prosecutor Samuel Applelando, Alice Pearl Harris and George Aaron.

Rally First Ward

First ward meeting will be at 620 State street, sponsored by the First Ward Democratic Club. The speakers include Lodge, Roye and Sheehan, Toby commissioner, Frank Larrio, Samuel T. French, Robert Cody; Lester Franks, in charge of the Camden county Italian campaign; chairman Aaron, Samuel T. French, Sr.; Kelleher, Norman Heins, Frank Crawford and John Blaney.

Sheehan, Roye and Lodge also will address the Ninth Ward Democratic Club’s Roosevelt rally in Sixth and Liberty streets. Also listed as speakers are Lee, Dr. Ernest DeVincenzo, the nominee for coroner, Aaron, Angelo Levy, Persis, Blaney, and Kelleher.

—In Sargent, Blaneo, Cramer, Mrs. Blaneo, John Kennedy, state committeeman, will address the Collingswood meeting this afternoon, Delaware Avenue East Haddon Democratic Club. Other speakers are, for Ward Three Ward Republican Democratic Club, Dr. Albert W. Kobus, Harry Blackwood, Harry R. Levine.

The Twelfth Ward meeting will be sponsored by the Twelfth Ward Democratic Club at 2227 Mitchell street. Among the speakers will be, for president, Delpin, Samuel Garland, Dr. Boweman, Carl Egerton, Foster Meekins and Ralph Accon.

Fourth Ward Rally

The Fourth Ward rally to be conducted at 425 Stevens street by the Fourth Ward Democratic Club will be addressed by Meyer Wessen, formerly of the Camden Board of Education; Benjamin Daide; addressing, Lario, Kelleher and De Petersburg.

—Pennsauken Democratic Club is sponsoring a Roosevelt rally at 4845 North Thirty-ninth street, Pennsauken, with Dr. Howard Primus, Graco Jones, Dr. Bowman, Milton Jones, Clarence Leigh, and Kelleher listed as the speakers.

The Thirteenth Ward Democratic Club will conduct another Roosevelt rally at Haddon and Kaighn avenues. The speaker tonight will include Isaac Edson, assistant prosecutor; Freeholder Andrew J. McMahon, Frank Suttill, Edward Coakley, Leonard Saradova, Howard Callingwood, George Kline, Bertha Mergo, Abe Greenberg.

—Riverton will have a rally for two central city villagers in the morning at the afternoon, presented by the Riverton Democratic Organization. Speakers include Kelleher, Dr. DeVincenzo, French, J. Allen Gordon, county committeeman; Joseph Moss, David Friedman, Chester J. Connors, Harold W. Burr, Childers and Victor Rocco.

Ringside Ramblings by Gordon Mackay

Famed journalist Gordon Mackay had a regular column in the Courier-Post in the 1930s. In the column below, Andrew McMahon tells, in his own words, a few tales of his early days in and out of the ring.

POP Feeney’s fanciful figuring lured Andy McMahon from fistics to finance. Pop, in case you know him not, was a canny, clever Irishman who lived in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, where he managed most of the great boxers who were born in that district.

Feeney’s greatest asset as a manager was a young man named Tommy O’Toole, who could hold his own with such masters as Abe Attell, Johnny Kilbane and others. Which shows that Pop had a potential champion in Mr. O’Toole, although Tommy decided to quit the resined arena before he had become a dullard.

Pop then turned with deep regret, and an eye to business, to other young men who believed they were destined to rule the world in the dint of their stout fists. One of those who took that route as an avenue to a livelihood was Mr. Andrew J. McMahon.

Andy today is the freeholder from the Fourteenth ward of Camden, sparse of hair though lush of brains. Andy has the keen wit that seems a heritage of the Irish. Such is the sense that dominates his dome that he decided early in his career that he would rather wrestle with figures as a bookkeeper than vie with fisticuffians via his dukes.

Before we let Andy tell the tale of his own reformation, so to speak, it is meet that the writer say something about Mr. McMahon. The latter was a shifty young gentleman in the ring, who fought according to a philosophy rather novel in the days when Andy battled.

McMahon decided that if nobody ever hit you, you would never lose a fight. So he concentrated on defense.

POP’S FIGURES / ANDY’S RELEASE

“I’ll never forget the day I decided to hang up the gloves,” said McMahon, “and take up the ledger. Pop Feeney had come to me and asked me to box at the Cambria Club, where they want blood and teeth and noses and eyes scattered all over the ring, or the fight is a fake.

“I told Pop that I would entertain a proposition and asked him the usual question: ‘How much?’ Pop told me that he wouldn’t give me a tough boy to box, and that because it was a small club he could only afford $75 for my end of the loot. I almost fainted—to think that anybody would offer me $75 to box. I took him up in a minute. That night we had a fine house at the Cambria. The other boy and myself fought a good fight—it pleased the fans up there, so it must have been a good fight.

“After I dressed I went to look up Pop, who handled our end of the dough. I ran into Pop and I thought his family had been burned to death, he looked so sad. ‘Andy,’ he said to me, while it was all he could do to keep from busting right out in tears, ‘It wasn’t such a good house tonight, so all I could get was $25. I’m paying you half.’

“I took one look at Pop and held out my hand. ‘Pay,’ was all I said to my manager. Pop counted out 12 silver dollars and five dimes and handed them to me. I started back home. On the way over I said: ‘Andy, my boy, fighting’s too tough a job, you’re going to be a bookkeeper.’ And I am.”

“Speaking of fights,” continued the urbane and personable Freeholder McMahon, “one of the funniest I ever was mixed with was when I fought a kid Whitey Fitzgerald had at the Cambria one night. Whitey—he is now dead—was a white guy if ever there was one.

“‘Andy,’ he said to me, ‘this fellow I’ve got is out of shape. He won’t go more than three rounds. In fact he intends to give the fans a run for their money for three rounds, then take a dive’.”

“TOOK DIVE” TOO EARLY

“‘Well, that’s up to him,’ I told Whitey. So out we go. I start boxing around him, stepping in and out, to make him look good. I didn’t want the fans to kill him if they found anything out. I feinted and shot a few that missed him by inches, then I hit him a tap on the chin that wouldn’t have knocked down a fly.

“I almost had a stroke myself when he went right into the tank and stayed there. He didn’t make any attempt to get up until after ‘10’ had been counted. Now you can’t fool those Cambria fans. They smelled something in Denmark. They began to holler and yell, finally somebody tossed a nice ‘pineapple’ at us in the shape of a milk bottle.

“I went back to the dressing room and thought I would have some fun with Whitey. ‘You’re a fine piece of cheese,’ I said to Fitzgerald, ‘You tell me that your boy is going into the tank in the third round. I’m all set for that and want to make him look good. What does he do? I’ll tell you what he does—he takes a dive in the first round, that’s what he does. He does it to make me look bad, too.’

“Whitey looked at me with his eyes popping right out of his head. This was the first time he ever heard a boxer kicking because a tanker took a dive too soon. ‘Gee,’ Whitey said to me, ‘I’m sorry. I’ll knock that louse’s block off for making you look bad.’”

“Talking about fights, I’ll give you another laugh,” said Andy.

“In the Army we had Augie Ratner, who came from North Jersey, while Farmer Harris or some other good boy was in the Navy. They were selected to go to London and fight in a ‘World War’ with gloves. Ratner and Harris didn’t want to punch holes in each other, so they got together.

“‘What’s the use of us kicking each other around for those Limeys?’ Augie said. ‘We can take it easy and one of us can win without getting all kicked to blazes. Let’s toss a cent, see who wins?’

“‘Okeh by me,’ said Ratner. ‘We’ll tip the boys off, so they can make a piece of change.’ Sure enough they went to London. The gang, thinking the tip was hot and so it was, laid heavily on Harris.

“‘Augie and Farmer were a couple of good actors, I’ll tell the world. Augie would let Farmer take a smack at him, dodge just enough so that Harris would miss. But he didn’t hit Harris more than a dozen blows in the whole bout.

“The boys who had their dough down were all figuring what a party they would throw when they collected. They almost fell dead when the referee announced Ratner the winner.

“‘Why?’ You know why. The English referee hands you more for defense than offense. The ability not to be hit is bigger with them than the ability to hit the other fellow. Augie forgot that. So did Farmer. But the referee didn’t, he gave the duke to Ratner.

“‘What happened?’ Well you figure a couple of hundred gobs and a couple of hundred doughboys who had that money in the bag, only to lose it, you’ll get a working picture of what happened.”

“Yes sir, Pop Feeney gave me those twelve silver cartwheels and he made a bookkeeper out of me. I’m not a bit sorry he did.”

Pre-Lenten Social Function Set for Feb. 22 in Honor of First President

Camden Council, Knights of Columbus, will hold a “George Washington Birthday Ball” February 22, at the Hotel Walt Whitman.

Grand Knight J. Frank Crawford says he can find no trace of a civic affair of this nature ever having been given in Camden to pay honor to the first President of the United States.

Usually the Knights’ pre-Lenten ball is held on the Friday evening preceding Ash Wednesday, but the dates are so close this year that the suggestion for a Washington’s Birthday Ball met with instant favor.

Both the main and junior ballrooms of the hotel have been engaged for the dance while numerous rooms in the hostelry have been reserved for dinner parties to precede the ball.

Arrangements have been made for lavish and substantial decorations. A life-size statue of Washington on a pedestal will be surrounded by the Stars and Stripes, palms and floodlights.

The ballrooms will be replete with bunting and shields, alternating to achieve the patriotic and nationalistic tinge that the Knights believe this annual occasion should invest the affair.

To carry out the significance of the event and to furnish an exceptional touch to the evening, a committee of women, with Mrs. Jere Crean as chairman, will have charge of the features of the entertainment.

This program will partake of early colonial social activities. There will be dances of those early days together with the march of “The Three Minutes,” the patriots whose picture has become as familiar to Americans as the sun and the moon.

Other members of this features committee include Mrs. Kirk B. Barb, Mrs. Patrick O’Connor, Mrs. Joseph McShane, Mrs. Sabba Verdiglione, Mrs. Joseph E. Mears, Mrs. Vincent de Paul Costello, Mrs. James L. Hughes, Mrs. John Reynolds, Mrs. Frank Daly and Mrs. Andrew J. McMahon.

There is also a Junior Ladies’ Committee headed by Miss Mary Verga and comprising the Misses Catherine Kelley, Margaret Powell, Madeline McFeely, Alice Dolly, Teresa Regnery, Catherine Fay, Julia Kirk, Margaret Kelley, Winifred Cogan, Marie Carr and Marie Stanton Daly.

Thomas J. McCloskey is chairman of the committee on decorations; William J. Hartman of music, and Francis J. Poplaski of publicity. District Deputy George J. Reed heads the reception committee with Grand Knight Crawford, Past Grand Knight John A. Reynolds is in charge of the general committee, with Theodore J. Stiles, secretary; Francis Halstead, treasurer, and Daniel Roche, treasurer of Camden Council, as advisory member.

Mrs. Jere Crean Heads Women’s Committee for Event Feb. 22

One of the principal pre-Lenten events in this city will be the Knights of Columbus Ball which is to be held in the Hotel Walt Whitman on Tuesday evening, February 22.

Since the ball falls on Washington’s birthday the program has been centered around the observance of the national holiday.

The Women’s Committee has completed plans for its participation in the affair and has announced that many dinner parties are being arranged, preceding the ball.

John A. Reynolds is general chairman of the ball committee. Mrs. Jere Crean heads the women’s committee and is assisted by Miss Margaret Powell, Miss Madeline McFeeley, Miss Alice Dolly, Miss Margaret Moore, Miss Winifred Cogan, Miss Julia V. Kirk, Miss Kathryn Kelley, Miss Mary McGrath, Miss Teresa Regnery, Miss Margaret Kelley, Miss Jule M. Carey, Miss Winifred Stafford, Miss Rose Mary McKernan, Miss Marie B. Carr, Miss Rita Reigert, Miss Frances Jagod, Miss Mary Verga, Miss Anna Connell, Miss Monica Barrett, Mrs. Kirk B. Barb, Mrs. Marie Stanton Kelly, Mrs. Andrew McMahon, Mrs. Sabba Verdiglione, Mrs. John Reynolds, Mrs. Joseph Mears, Mrs. Charles Grimley, Mrs. John P. Daly, Mrs. John Holt, Mrs. Frank Daly, Mrs. James A. Kane, Mrs. Joseph P. McShane and Mrs. Patrick A. O’Connor.

Montana Chieftain to Send Son as Envoy to Testimonial for Freeholder

Chief Rain-on-the-Rump, whose tepee is pitched in Medicine Hat, Montana, is expected to send his son as an envoy when John Daly, First ward freeholder, is feted on February 17. The banquet will be held in Convention Hall and is expected to be the largest occasion of its nature known in Camden in years.

Daly was showing the letter, which he said had come from his old friend and sachem in Montana, and said he would make the Redskin welcome with an Injun war-whoop.

The pemmican which will be spread before the chieftain and others who gather will comprise a menu which paleface and aborigine alike might relish.

Clarence E. Moullette, chairman of the banquet committee, reported the list of guests will comprise a real Who’s Who in Camden. Invitations have been sent to Congressmen Charles A. Wolverton and Elmer Wene, Gov. A. Harry Moore, Senator John Milton, Senator Robert M. LaFollette and others, prominent in national and state politics. Mayor George E. Brunner and his fellow commissioners will represent the city, while the Federal, state and municipal judiciary also will be represented.

Freeholder Andrew J. McMahon will be toastmaster, while a new position, honorary toastmaster, will be conferred on Frank H. Ryan, managing editor of the Courier-Post newspapers.

F.R. Sends Best Wishes as Civic Leaders, Friends Laud Freeholder

Green were the shamrocks from his own native Athlone that filled the big silver loving cup, and the First Citizen of the United States sent his best wishes to the First Citizen of north Camden, so John Daly had a birthday party last night without precedent in Camden social functions. The freeholder from the First ward, arrived at 76 years, broke his own rule and crowded himself into the first evening dress he said he ever wore.

Political Camden, Republican and Democrat alike, came out to make a fete for the veteran official, and to cap the climax, this was the first banquet in the history of the city that played to “Standing Room Only.” So many wanted to come to do honor to Daly that Convention Hall was jammed with 750 guests.

Baskets of Flowers

John was lauded in song and story, and then was presented with flowers, four huge baskets of them. The First Ward Democratic Club gave their freeholder a silver loving cup, suitably engraved, and Katherine Janice, 9, told the guest of honor how much he was esteemed by the members of the club and people of the ward.

The guest table was thronged with the bigwigs of politics and the sachems of parties. They were introduced in turn and several of them spoke, but the yells and the shouts and the greetings and the gifts were all for “good old John Daly.”

Clarence E. Moullette, president of the First Ward Democratic Club, opened the program and introduced Freeholder Andrew J. McMahon as toastmaster. Mayor George E. Brunner was the first speaker and he told of the valor and strength John Daly had in politics, and the love shown him on every side.

Then Brunner had the toastmaster spring the grand piece of the evening, a letter of regret read even before those from Senator John Milton, Governor A. Harry Moore, Congressman Charles A. Wolverton, Congressman Elmer Wene and others.

President ‘Regrets’

This birthday message came from the White House and read as follows:

“The President has asked me to express his regret that it will not be possible for Mrs. Roosevelt and himself to accept the invitation to be present at the testimonial dinner in honor of Mr. John Daly.

“Will you please convey the President’s greetings and best wishes to your guest of honor.”

Mrs. Mary E. Soistmann, former Assemblyman Bartholomew A. Sheehan and Henry D. Young, Jr. director of WPA, followed Brunner with congratulations.

McMahon then introduced celebrities to take a bow.

Then the guest of the evening stood up, and the ovation he received almost rocked Convention Hall. With tremors in his voice, Daly thanked everybody.

Mrs. Kobus completed the program when she declared John Daly “had given her more trouble, asking help for people, than any other 23 citizens of Camden.”