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Correction Officer

Sidney Albert Syms

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division — Huntsville, TX

Felonious

End of Watch September 29, 1928

Age 51

The Vigil Panel 56 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 123

Incident

Corrections Officer Sidney Syms was a convict guard at the Retrieve State Prison Farm in Brazoria County. Lee Davis and Willie Davis, were convicts, Lee Davis being under a sentence of 99 years and Willie Davis for 25 years, both for robbery with firearms. It was not reported as to whether they were related. They were a part of a squad of ten convicts under the supervision of Officer Syms. Lee Davis and Willie Davis made an agreement to effect their escape. Syms was armed with a pistol in his scabbard and a shotgun which he had in his hand. According to Lee Davis, the agreed plan was that they were to go for a drink of water and that as they passed Syms, Lee Davis was to grab him, and according to his testimony, Lee Davis did grab Syms, who was sitting upon a block with a shotgun in his lap. Lee Davis grabbed the shotgun from the left side of Syms and Willie Davis at the same time attacked him from the right and grabbed his pistol. Two shots were fired from the pistol, one of which killed Syms by entering his body near his hip and going through his intestines. Lee Davis and Willie Davis fled together, but were captured the next day.

Both Lee Davis and Willie Davis were charged in the murder of Syms. Lee Davis was convicted on July 11, 1929. He was executed in the state prison at Huntsville on August 22, 1930. Willie Davis was too ill to be tried and died of tuberculosis on July 15, 1929 at age 19.

Officer Syms was survived by his wife, Rena Syms. He had one child from his first marriage and seven children from his second marriage. He was buried in the Peach Creek Cemetery in Brazos County.

Survivors

Officer Syms was survived by his wife, Rena Syms.

In Our Keeping

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Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Correction Officer Syms 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, Correction Officer Syms.

— 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 September 29, 1928

Age 51

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

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

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1928, 201 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 13th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Sidney was 51. 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

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded