NEWSPAPERS: James H. McCULLOUGH, 1903, Altoona, Blair County PA

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James H. McCullough
January 20, 1903 ?

  James H. McCullough, an Altoona tax collector is among the missing; and an 
examination of his affairs revealed a shortage in his accounts of about 
$30,000.  Five Altoona gentlemen were McCullough's bondsmen, the amount of 
the bond being $80,000.  The County Commissioners and McCullough's bondsmen 
held several conferences with the result that  the following agreement was 
entered into "The said sureties, John P. Levan, W. W. Blake, David G. 
McCullough, Thomas J. Armstrong and James C. Hughes, for the purpose of 
averting litigation, agree to pay the sum of $25,000 into the treasury of 
Blair county, to be accepted and received as in full satisfaction and payment 
of their liability to the county of Blair for the defalcation of Collector 
James H. McCullough on tax duplicates for the years 1896, 1897, 1898 and 
1899.  All monies due upon said duplicates of said Collector McCullough for 
the said years, are to be absolutely property of the county of Blair for 
county and state purposes, and the duplicates lately in the hands of said J. 
H. McCullough, collector for said years, shall be procured by the sureties 
and delivered into the office of the commissioners of Blair county, said 
commissioners to appoint suitable persons for the collection of said 
delinquent taxes." The following supplemental agreement was also entered 
into: "In consideration of the fact that the defalcation of J. H. McCullough 
may exceed $25,000, the said sureties of James H. McCullough hereby agree to 
convey to the commissioners of Blair county, or as they may direct, at a 
valuation of $5,500, certain land which the said J. H. McCullough and wife, 
by deed dated Dec. 27, 1900, conveyed to James C. Hughes, trustee, to wit: A 
lot on Fourteenth avenue, Altoona, and 12 lots in Calverton, Logan township.  
Furthermore, to execute bond in the sum of $9,500, conditioned to Indemnify 
the county of Blair in case the amount of said defalcation should reach the 
sum of $10,000." Judge Bell endorsed the settlement paper as follows: "After 
. . . ."