Bio & Incident Details
Age: 51
Tour: Not available
Badge # Not available
Cause: Gunfire
Incident Date: 9/29/1928
Weapon: Handgun
Suspect: one executed; one died in prison
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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.
