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Guard

Felix Smith

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division — Huntsville, TX
Felonious
United States flag Texas flag
End of Watch June 19, 1936
Age 44
The Vigil Panel 71 ›
Gender Male
Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 123

Incident

Guard Felix Smith was shot and killed during a prison escape from the Retrieve Prison Farm in Brazoria County.

One of the suspects dismounted from his mule, as the other prisoners plowed fields, and hid in some tall grass. As one of the trailing guards passed the location, the inmate attacked him, and with the help of another inmate, disarmed him.

One of the inmates took the guard's pistol and the other took the guard's shotgun and horse. As the inmate on the horse raced along the line of prisoners, he fired a shotgun blast into the back of Guard Smith, who was on a horse on the front of the line. The inmate then took Guard Smith's two pistols and the two escaped.

The two escapees were captured two weeks later and tried for Guard Smith's murder. The inmate who shot him was found guilty and sentenced to death. He was executed in the electric chair on August 20, 1937.

On October 3, 1937, he was shot and mortally wounded by a prison guard when he attempted to escape from the Eastham Prison Farm. He died two weeks later.

The inmate who was executed was originally in prison for the murder of Deputy John H. Lamkin, of the Nolan County Sheriff's Department, in June 1933.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
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September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Guard Smith served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Thank you for your service to the Huntsville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Guard Smith.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division
Type Corrections
Location Huntsville, Walker County, TX
Platform Identity tdcjcidcorr.walker.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 19, 1936
Age 44
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Shotgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Felix is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1936, 136 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 31st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Felix was 44. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

June holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was shotgun, in 7% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division has at least 120 officers remembered here, Felix among them.

Across the years

Guard Felix Smith

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division · End of Watch June 19, 1936

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 63-E

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