A Texas Department of Corrections employee, Officer Syms worked at the Retrieve State Farm in Brazoria County. He was killed by a gunshot wound, when two inmates tried to overpower him and take his guns in an attempt to escape.
August 1, 2011 - Additional info from Kenny Dee. His source is not sited:
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.
1910 Census, Sydney is living with the Kemp family as a boarder. He was 33 and Rena M. Kemp was 20
Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Beat 5, Sunflower, Mississippi; Roll: T624_759; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 0095; FHL microfilm: 1374772
1920 census Sydney and Rena are married and she is step mother to his son listed on his memorial page as "one child by first marriage". Rena was the mother to the other 7 although only four are on this census.
Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: Justice Precinct 1, Brazos, Texas; Roll: T625_1781; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 2; Image: 563
August 1, 2011 - Additional info from Kenny Dee. His source is not sited:
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.
1910 Census, Sydney is living with the Kemp family as a boarder. He was 33 and Rena M. Kemp was 20
Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Beat 5, Sunflower, Mississippi; Roll: T624_759; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 0095; FHL microfilm: 1374772
1920 census Sydney and Rena are married and she is step mother to his son listed on his memorial page as "one child by first marriage". Rena was the mother to the other 7 although only four are on this census.
Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: Justice Precinct 1, Brazos, Texas; Roll: T625_1781; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 2; Image: 563
A Texas Department of Corrections employee, Officer Syms worked at the Retrieve State Farm in Brazoria County. He was killed by a gunshot wound, when two inmates tried to overpower him and take his guns in an attempt to escape.
August 1, 2011 - Additional info from Kenny Dee. His source is not sited:
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.
1910 Census, Sydney is living with the Kemp family as a boarder. He was 33 and Rena M. Kemp was 20
Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Beat 5, Sunflower, Mississippi; Roll: T624_759; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 0095; FHL microfilm: 1374772
1920 census Sydney and Rena are married and she is step mother to his son listed on his memorial page as "one child by first marriage". Rena was the mother to the other 7 although only four are on this census.
Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: Justice Precinct 1, Brazos, Texas; Roll: T625_1781; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 2; Image: 563
August 1, 2011 - Additional info from Kenny Dee. His source is not sited:
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.
1910 Census, Sydney is living with the Kemp family as a boarder. He was 33 and Rena M. Kemp was 20
Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Beat 5, Sunflower, Mississippi; Roll: T624_759; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 0095; FHL microfilm: 1374772
1920 census Sydney and Rena are married and she is step mother to his son listed on his memorial page as "one child by first marriage". Rena was the mother to the other 7 although only four are on this census.
Source Citation: Year: 1920; Census Place: Justice Precinct 1, Brazos, Texas; Roll: T625_1781; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 2; Image: 563
Bio by: Carol Pagitt Hammack
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