Chicken Ranch Revisited: The Trooper Assigned to Keep Sheriff Out of Trouble

In 1974, a year after The Chicken Ranch closed, Houston TV reporter Marvin Zindler returned to La Grange for a follow-up on his series that led to the brothel’s shut down. Fayette County Sheriff T.J. “Jim” Flournoy was not a fan of the flamboyant newsman. Zindler’s weeklong series that aired on ABC 13 a year before caused a lot of embarrassment for “Big Jim” and the La Grange community.

Flournoy accosted Zindler on the Square in La Grange that day, yanking him out of a car by his necktie. Flournoy snatched the toupee off Zindler’s head and stomped it in the street. Zindler suffered two broken ribs in the ordeal.

Zindler sued Flournoy, which resulted in the famous “I’m a friend of Sheriff Jim” bumper stickers that were sold as part of the Sheriff’s legal defense fund.

Sometime later, Zindler returned to La Grange again to record some footage for his news special. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) found out about the trip. Worried that another confrontation could turn deadly, DPS assigned a state trooper to shadow Flournoy while Zindler was in town. That trooper was Claude Hart, who was based in Brenham at the time.

“I was a very young Highway Patrolman in Brenham when this all started,” said Hart. “I was sent to La Grange to ensure that the Sheriff didn’t kill Marvin Zindler or kill himself.”

Hart said his superiors at DPS believed Flournoy might kill Zindler if the two men crossed paths again.

“All day long, it crossed my mind, what would I do if they confronted each other?” Hart said. “I don’t want to kill a reporter and I don’t want to kill a sheriff. But here I am with an impossible job to do. Praise the Lord, nothing bad happened.”

Hart, who just celebrated his 80th birthday, explained why his superiors picked him for the job.

“I was six feet, two inches tall, and I weighed about 240 at the time,” Hart said. “I was the biggest one in the sergeant’s area. La Grange was under the Brenham sergeant. I was probably the dumbest one because the sergeant picked me. I was probably the most expendable.”

On a more serious note, Hart said his selection might have been due to his combat experience in Vietnam.

“I think (the sergeant) thought I may be more up to it than the ones who hadn’t been in combat,” Hart said.

Hart was also an experienced boxer. Later, during the 1980s, he trained DPS troopers in boxing techniques.

Hart estimated that Flournoy stood about six feet seven inches and weighed close to 300 lbs. at that time.

“When I walked into his office, he gave me the most baleful stare,” Hart said. “It more or less chilled my youknow- what.”

The Sheriff had an office inside the Fayette County Courthouse in those days.

“I was sitting in his office and he came over and put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Young man, I know exactly why you’re here. Don’t you worry. I’m not going to do anything,’” Hart recalled “I said, ‘Well, I’m not particularly worried about you, Sheriff. But they sent me here to make sure nothing happens.’” About that time, Hart said, Marvin Zindler and his camera crew pulled up to the courthouse.

“Sheriff Flournoy walked over to the window and uttered something that I didn’t quite understand,” Hart said. “I think it had something to do with an S.O.B. or something like that. Sheriff Flournoy had a deep, gruff voice. He called me over to the window and showed me Zindler directing his camera crew to get the shots they wanted.”

Hart said his superiors ordered him to stay at Flournoy’s side the whole time Zindler was in town.

“I had to follow him to lunch and back and made sure nothing happened,” Hart said. “I followed him to the courthouse. He kind of warmed up to me eventually. He thought it was kind of funny that I was tailing him so closely.”

Hart described the assignment as the biggest test of his career at that point.

“Nothing happened, and I’m very much thankful for that,” Hart said. “When Zindler left town, I was free to go.”

It wasn’t the only time Hart crossed paths with The Chicken Ranch. One day, while working traffic radar on US 290 east of Brenham, he pulled over a woman for speeding.

“Back then, they had a place on the traffic citation for the driver’s occupation,” Hart said. “So I asked her, ‘What is your occupation?’ She said, ‘I’m a prostitute at The Chicken Ranch in La Grange.’ My sergeant was riding with me. I said, ‘Sarge, how do I put this down? She says she’s a prostitute at The Chicken Ranch.’ He said, ‘Just write housewife.’ I thought all the housewives would be tickled with that.’” After his career in the DPS, Hart went on to serve as executive director of the Texas State Troopers Association. He is now retired and lives near Luling.