Walking Tall

It’s 2 a.m., Monday July 8, 1966, in the sleepy little town of Columbus. Like most other small towns of the period, they “rolled the sidewalks up” at or before midnight. Arnold Knippel, the only policeman in the town of 3,500 has been making his rounds to see that everything is secure. He is taking a coffee break in one of the only all-night restaurants in town probably with the intent of calling it a night. Suddenly, one of Columbus leading citizens and his wife rush in and tell Arnold that their son is very restless and making lots of noise in his part of the house. They asked Arnold if he would go and talk to their twenty-year-old son, Tom Massey, to get him to calm down and go to bed. They are afraid that he is going to tear up the house. Young Massey has a history of mental instability and has been under psychiatric treatment. Hollis Massey, the father, is a prominent lawyer in Columbus and is friends with Chief Knippel as is his son, Tom. Arnold leaves and goes to the Massey home at 330 Smith St. to talk with young Tom only to be met by young Massey who fires two blasts from a shot gun into the Chief, who died instantly. Young Massey is quickly tried and determined to be insane. He is sentenced to Rusk State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.

Arnold Knipple was born Sept. 2, 1902 in Fayetteville, Texas to Theodore and Eleanor Knipple. Arnold grew up working on the family farm as did many other youngsters of the day learning a strong work ethic.

In 1925, he married Olga Wunderlich and worked at farming on a rental farm in the Fayetteville area. They had two children, Calvin and Ester Lee.

In 1930, Arnold is listed in the local paper as a candidate for Constable in Pct. 2. He was still farming. Constables serve as the Officer of the Justice of the Peace Court while and receive little if any salary.

Their income is generated from serving subpoenas, jury summons and any other legal documents issued by the JP that require personal notification of the parties involved and for that service they receive a fee. They also have powers of arrest for warrants issued by the judge or any other court. Constables generally have another source of income. Arnold worked for the Frede Motor Company in Fayetteville as a salesman and later for the La Grange Motor Company in La Grange. Apparently, he was still farming on the side since there was a hired hand listed on the 1940 census as living on the farm. Arnold had a close call on Oct. 6, 1935, he was traveling to Industry when an approaching truck loaded with oil field pipe had a blowout causing the truck driver to lose control and collide with Arnold’s vehicle. Arnold’s vehicle turned over into a ditch pinning him under the car. He was transported to a hospital in Brenham suffering from serious cuts and bruises.

Arnold Knippel served as Constable in Precinct 2 for 16 years serving the citizens. He was most adept at handling neighbor disputes, civil matters and other problems as may arise. He spoke fluent Czech and German which was an asset since many of people in his precinct still spoke their native languages.

In 1947 Arnold went to work for the newly elected Sheriff Jim Flounoy, partnering with another deputy named Charley Prilop. A lot of his duties were routine but included transporting prisoners to the state penitentiary and state hospital in Austin. There was one Department of Public Safety officer assigned to La Grange, so he also investigated automobile collisions, burglaries, and assaults.

In 1956 Arnold decided to throw his hat in the ring and run for sheriff along with former Texas Ranger Tom Gallamore. Both were defeated by the incumbent.

Arnold went on the be the Chief of Police in La Grange in 1957 and served until 1961. During his tenure as Chief of Police, he instituted a bicycle safety program. He formed a Junior Patrol and swore them in as such. He served La Grange proudly protecting the citizens and being a friend to all.

In 1961 he moved to Columbus as their Chief of Police. He, again, was the only police officer in town. Most of his duties were routine, handling small burglaries, thefts, and disturbances. He was a very likable and easy-going man who could oversee any situation if the need arose. The name Knippel is a derivative of the German name Knuppel which means stick or cudgel. That was Arnold, he carried a big stick but not in the sense of a weapon but with a calming demeanor and a sixfoot frame to back it up if need be.