The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-04-09
rankin Arb BRANDT.
The ox-otafo Treasurer and hi
Deputy both Indicted.

The original indictments against
ex-T Treasures Rankin, made by thu
Grand Jury ct Dee Moines last year,
were formally quashed and the mat
ter referred to the jury in session
hist week at the capital. This Jury
has returned six indictments against
Mr.. Rankin, but Diminishing the old
Indictment Of embezziing State
Treasury money. So stands his case.
But this salne Jury brought in eight
indictments against Isaac Brandt,
who was Deuty Treasurer under
Rankin, Ill Of which has been alluded
70 in our Geographic dispatches.
Mr.. Brandt held the position re-
ferred to from 1867 to 1872, and his
integrity as . man and faithfulness as
IN o(6cer, were never questioned
He has since held and holds the po-
s;tion Of Representative Of Polk
county (thc capital county, in the
Legislature. This we'll justices the
surprise. more particularly Ut his own
home, when it was announced these
numerous indictments had been found
against him by the Grand Jury. The
Indictments are, we presume, on the
one ground, but each covering q sep.
srate occasion or offence, that he
loaned the public money in his hands
for his own benefit. This was Grim
inal only n it was contrary to the
letter and spirit Of the law, yet not so
morally offensive - Mr.. Rankin's de.
inquencies. Brandt honestly &C
counted to the State for every dollar
which officially came into his hands,
but he loaned out . portion of the
funds, drew interest for its use, and
retained this sum n his own property
instead Of crediting the State with Il.
Rankin's was positive embezzlement
-Brandt's a negative one. Rankin
used and lost funds entrusted to his
charge-Brandt restored all the funds
placed in his official hands, but spec
ulated on them while there. While
he was under no obligations to loan
or speculate with these funds 80 as to
bring in interest for the State, he was
prohibited from thus using the mon
ey for his own benefit.
It is the extent of his "imbezzlc-
ment," that Brsndt, the Register says
frequently converted the drafts and
currency in his hands into drafts
drawn by different Des Moincs banks,
on New York Or Chicago, and when
these drafts were held for consider
able time in the State Treasury,
before being forwarded or returned
to the drawer for payment, the bank
which had drawn TIE draft paid him
Z Abonus," or sintcrest'' on the draft
thus held; that the amounts thus
charged to Dir. Brandt, and for
which, it i claimed hs 10 liable to
the State, amount to about t36, 400
or ~; 900, or . sum greater than the
Rankin defalcatioD.
The Grand Jury, in their submits
sion Of several questions to the Court,
covering this case, showed that they
had serious doubts as TO whether the
acts Of the Deputy Treasurer would
justify criminal indictment. The
were submitted and an
;wersd on general principles, with,
but reference to the particular party
Doocsrned. A regular judicial inves-
tiss&ion can alone determine whether
NJ. Brandt Is guilty in the eyes Of
he law and statutes as thus charged.
[n the meantime he has given "a, 600
On each indictment. He has prece-
dents in this and other Stairs for thus
|oaning State funds. but that is no
legal defence. Davenport Gazette.