The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-04-09
RANKIN AND BRANDT.
The ex-0 STATE Treasurer and hi
Deputy both Indicted.

The original indictments against
ex-Treasurer Rankin, made BY thu
Grand Jury 1t Des Moines last year,
were formally quashed and the mat
ter referred to the Jury in session
lasf week Ut 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 same Jury brought in eight
indictments against Isaac Brandt,
who was Deuty Treasurer under
Rankin, al Of which has been alluded
TO in our Geographic dispatches.
Mr.. Brandt held the position re-
ferred to from 1867 TO 1872, and his
integrity as = man and faiihfulness ss
IN o(6cer, were never Questioned
He has since held and holds the po-
s;tion Of Representative Of Polk
county (the capital county, in the
Legislature. This well justi6es the
surprise, more particularly 1t bis own
home, when il 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 . sep.
aratc occasion or offence, that be
loaned the public money in his hands
for his own benefit. This was Grim
inal only u it was contrary to the
letter and spirit Of the law, yet not SC
morally offensive q Mr.. Rankin's de.
linquencies. Brandt honestly &C.
counted to the State for every dollar
which officially came into his hands
but he loaned out Z portion Of the
funds, drew interest for its use, and
retained this sum - his own property
instead Of crediting the State with It
Rankin's was positive embezzlemen,
-Brandt's negative one. Rankin
used and lost funds entrusted TO hi.
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 e
bring in interest for the State, he was
prohibited from thus using the mon
ey for his own benefit.
1t 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 Moines 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 The draft paid him
s.bonus," or Sintcrest" on the draft
thus held; that the amounts thus
charged to Mr.. Brandt, and for
which, it i claimed, hs il liable to
the Staie, amount to about "a, 600
or 900, or sum greater than the
originai 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 a the Deputy Treasurer would
justify criminal Indictment. The
anestiOns were submitted and an
swersd on general principles, with
out reference to the particular party
concerned. A regular judicial inves-
tiestion can alone determine whether
NJ. Brandt Is guilty in the eyes of
the law and statutes as thus charged.
10 the meantime he has given "a, 600
on each indictment. He has prece-
dents in this and other 6tatcs for thus
loaning State funds, but that is no
legal defence. Davenport Gazetse.