I am going to post this early, if one place in Texas loses electric power during this upcoming winter storm it will Parkdale in Dallas.
On this date (February 04) 1926 a wife lost a husband, his father and mother lost a son, his one brother and two sisters lost a brother and Dallas lost a Police Officer.
Patrolman (Motorcycle Assignment) Clarence Marshall Isbell was shot and killed as he attempted to stop a speeding automobile on Forest Avenue (now Martin Luther King Boulevard) near Whitaker Street (now Parnell Avenue) which was westbound on Forest Avenue.
Patrolman Isbell was approximately one block ahead of his partner, Patrolman R.D. Wofford traveling west on Forest Avenue when a large touring style vehicle passed at a high rate of speed. Patrolman Isbell accelerated and pulled along side the speeding vehicle occupied by six black males. As Patrolman Isbell motioned for the driver to pull over one of the occupants of the vehicle opened fire.
Patrolman Isbell was struck in the right temple area and fell to the roadway immediately. Patrolman Wofford also observing the speeding vehicle had caught up and hearing the shots began a high speed pursuit of the vehicle. During this pursuit six shots were fired at Patrolman Wofford.
The speeding vehicle continued across the Forest Avenue Road Via Duct, now Cedar Crest Boulevard into the Oak Cliff area where Patrolman Wofford lost sight of the vehicle.
Patrolman Isbell was transported to Parkland Hospital by ambulance and died before arrival.
Investigation disclosed the driver and shooter were brothers Snap Robinson and Forest Robinson. Additional information disclosed they had fled to the Texarkana Texas/Arkansas area. A massive manhunt was initiated and they were located and taken into custody near Foreman, Arkansas.
Just prior to execution Snap Robinson confessed his brother Forest had escaped from a work gang while serving a sentence in Arkansas and had killed a member of a posse searching for him by beating him to death with a large wood club.
Both brothers were executed on April 5, 1926 at the Texas State Prison, Huntsville, Texas.
Patrolman Clarence Marshall Isbell is interred at Grove Hill Memorial Park Cemetery, Dallas, Texas in Section 5.