An unusual meeting was held in the Lehighton Branch of the Hazleton National Bank for the accounting of the borough's bonds. It was prompted by a series of rumors attributed to a recently formed Taxpayers Association which hinted that borough funds were stolen by former officials. To eliminate what Eugene McCarty, borough council president, called "further character assassination," he appointed a committee of five citizens, including three clergy members, to audit and check the bonds. Newspaper reporters were invited to the meeting.