Roll of Honor
H. D. Parsons
Incident
Corrections Officer H.D. Parsons was shot and killed during an escape from the Donovant Convict Farm near Eagle Lake, Texas.
At 11:30 p.m. H. D. Parsons was working as the night prison guard at the Donovant Convict Farm when he was called to the grated window of a cell and asked to bring some medicine for an alleged sick man. Parsons brought the medicine and placed it on the window sill when his hand was caught by a convict, and he was jerked against the grating. Then another convict grabbed his pistol from his belt and killed him. They then took a bench and knocked the window out, and four convicts made their escape. Another prisoner caught hold of the alarm bell and rang it in the face of a threat from a convict about to shoot him. None of the convicts was serving more than ten years. The convicts crossed the river and made for Scull Creek bottom while being pursued by a posse with bloodhounds.
On August 17, 1898, the doctor was arrested at about 1:30 a.m. near Mayfield in Milam County by the sheriff and a posse of guards. The doctor told reporters he was sent to prison from Polk County about two years ago under a charge of bigamy for a term of 10 years. He was sent to the Donovant convict farm as a surgeon and physician, and he was serving in that capacity when he escaped. He denied being involved in the murder of Guard Parsons. It is unknown if he was charged with the murder. The Texas Prison Museum reported that the doctor was discharged from prison on November 22, 1904.
Corrections Officer Parsons was the son of General George Parsons of Washington, D.C. In 1880 he was living in Bellville, Austin County, with his wife and three children. One child died in 1886 from an accident.
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
128 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Correction Officer Parsons served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Correction Officer H. D. Parsons is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In TX, 1,463 of 2,421 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.4% of this state's fallen. That is 6.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, 31 of 124 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. H. D. Parsons's cause is highlighted.
How H. D. Parsons Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. H. D. Parsons is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. H. D. Parsons was killed by handgun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
123 officers from Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
