Correction Officer Sidney Albert Syms

Correction Officer Sidney Albert Syms

Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, Texas

End of Watch Saturday, September 29, 1928

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Sidney Albert Syms

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.

Bio

  • Age 51
  • Tour Not available
  • Badge Not available

Incident Details

  • Cause Gunfire
  • Weapon Handgun
  • Offender one executed; one died in prison

Most Recent Reflection

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I thank you for your service to the great state of Texas and I am honored to have you as my Great Great grandfather. My father, David, was a correctional officer in Huntsville during the 1980s for a short time. I was honored to have known your son, J.T. Sims, my Great grandfather for almost 18 years before he past and I knew that he had missed you everyday of his life since he was 7 years old on the day you past. I was a corrections officer for two years and a military police officer for 9 years. So I geuss we tend to follow in our parents footsteps. Not to mention I just found out I inherited your curly red hair.

Scott Sims
Great great grandson

November 26, 2023

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