According to the 1900 United States Census, William Isham Taylor was born in January of 1882 in Lyons, Burleson County, Texas to his father, Thomas P. Taylor, and his mother, Mary Taylor. Thomas P. Taylor was born in Alabama and Mary Taylor was born in Texas. William Isham Taylor was an 18 year old white male. His occupation was listed as a farm laborer. William Taylor was a white male living in the 3rd Ward in Houston, Harris County, Texas. He was married to S. May Taylor and they had two daughters, Jana May and Laura. His occupation was listed as a wagon driver for a liquor store. In November 1913, he became employed by the Harris County Sheriff’s Department as a convict guard. In Guard Taylor’s chain gang were two black males by the name of Joe Brown and Sam Jones. They had been taken to the county convict camp in the morning hours of Monday, February 16, 1914. They were transferred to the county jail to work out their fines. On Wednesday, February 18, 1914 Harris County Convict Guards William Isham Taylor, Leroy Bailey, and E.T. Anderson reported for duty at the Harris County Convict Camp # 2. It was early in the morning when they checked out nineteen county convicts to work on a drainage ditch being constructed by the county below the Engle Addition. Guard Taylor had eleven convicts working at his location near German Street. Guards Bailey and Anderson had eight convicts working at a location some 300 yards away. At 8:00 A.M. the two convicts, Brown and Jones broke away from the work crew and ran to escape from the work area. Guard Taylor fired one shot in the air, which was also a signal that he was having trouble. He attempted to chase after the fleeing convicts. Guard Bailey had secured the other convicts and took them back to the camp. He then went to assist Guard Taylor. A pair of bloodhounds was taken to the area and began tracking the two escaping convicts through the woods along the bayou. They were tracked for over a mile. Records do not mention any further details regarding E.T. Anderson. Half an hour later one of the convicts, Sam Jones, was found standing on a log fifteen feet from the shoreline on Buffalo Bayou. The bloodhounds were swimming around him in circles, baying loudly. Guard Bailey was first to arrive. He waded out to Convict Jones and attempted to bring him back to shore. Guard Bailey and Convict Jones fought for the advantage on the log, but Convict Jones fought desperately and had the advantage over Guard Bailey. Guard Bailey pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Convict Jones. Guard Taylor yelled from the shore and told Guard Bailey, “Don’t shoot him, don’t shoot him”. “I’ll come to help you”. Guard Taylor waded out into the bayou and the struggle to arrest Convict Jones became more intense. During the struggle Convict Jones either took the pistol away from Guard Bailey or used a club and struck him over the head. The fight continued in the water and in an instant the two guards and the convict were in 10 feet of water in the middle of the bayou. The current of the water began to take the three downstream. Convict Jones got free and made his way to the far shore and fled the scene. Guards Bailey and Taylor tried to help each other to shore but the current took them under and they both drowned in the bayou. Captain G.H. Dunnely, B. Dunnely, and T.J. Carey were on the boat, named “Maud”. They were witnesses to the struggle in the water, but were too far away to lend assistance to the two guards. They gave an alarm. Six deputies, along with Sheriff M. Frank Hammond, all available convict guards, and the mounted officers from the police department arrived on the scene of the drowning. The bodies of Guards Bailey and Taylor were recovered from the bayou just before noon. The pistols of both guards were found on their bodies and had several empty chambers in the pistols. There were marks on Guard Taylor’s throat indicating that he was strangled. The condition of the clothing and the bodies indicated a fierce struggle in the water. Justice of the Peace J. H. Crocker conducted the inquest of the guards and both bodies were taken to the Westheimer Morgue. Guard William Isham Taylor’s body was shipped to Lyons, Texas on February 18, 1914 for burial in the local cemetery. His occupation was listed on the official death certificate as a Convict Guard.Guard William Isham Taylor’s body was shipped to Lyons, Texas on February 18, 1914 for burial in the local cemetery. His occupation was listed on the official death certificate as a Convict Guard. Guard Leroy Bailey’s funeral was held on Thursday, February 19, 1914 at 8:30 a.m. at the private residence of his father, J.M. Bailey, located at 2415 Sabine Street. His body was buried later that day in the White Oak Cemetery in Houston, Harris County, Texas. County Judge W. H. Ward and County Commissioner W. H. Lloyd, officials who have general supervision of the county convict camps, spent most of the day at the scene of the accident. Sheriff M. Frank Hammond received some information that convict Sam Jones was hiding under his house on Hill Street. The house was surrounded by officers of the sheriff’s department and Convict Jones was ordered to come out from under his house. He complied and was recaptured, later in the afternoon on Wednesday. He was placed in the county jail until completion of the inquest proceedings by Justice of the Peace Crocker. The other convict, Joe Brown, was later recaptured. Guards William Isham Taylor and Leroy Bailey were two brave men who paid the supreme sacrifice while in the performance of their official duties as convict guards for the Harris County Sheriff’s Department.