The New York herald., 1875-08-27
TWENTY YEARS IN STATE PRISON.
RAILROAD TRACK INSTRUCTOR CAUGHT IN HIS
FIENDIsH ACT-sENTENCED TO TWENTY YEARS
IN THE STATE PRISON.

RAILROAD TRACK INSTRUCTOR CAUGHT N HIS
FIEND1sH AcT-sENTENcED TO TWENTY YEARS
IN THE STATE PRISON.
BRIDGEPORT, Conn, August 20 1875.
The Superior Court Criminal Term, for Fairfield
county, Judge Lafayette S. Foster, presiding,
has just sentenced to twenty years in the State
Prison a named John Lee Powell who
caught July 16 in the act of placing distractions
on the of the Housaonic Railroad The New York.
New Haven and Hartford and other railways in the
State have frequently been pestered Of late by persons
who sought deliberately to throw trains from their
tracks by the of ties stones and rails but though
rewards were offered and efforts made through detec-
tves discover the guilty parties there has been
satisfactory result until the present case.
The circumstances Of the as follows-
On the evening of Friday, July TO- John Lee Powell,
resident of the of Trumbul took the Housatonic
train from this city for Beers Mills station near Paror
Rock. The train was heavily loaded On the
way 10 the station Powell refused to pay
his fare, which led to sharp controversy
between himself and Conductor Lane, who passed
through the train nine times before he succeeded
in getting the due from Powell for his ride Powell
persisted in paying few cents at time only, if to
annoy the conductor. Hard words spoken during
the interviews. Powell told that If he did not pay
he would be put Off the This excited Powell who
reached the station boiling over with rage As he
stepped from the PLATFORM Powell asked Lane If he
would be likely TO return to Bridgeport in charge
train that night Lane made reply but Powell pre-
suming that Lane would return and that he might
satisfy his taste for revenge, waited till nightla
when, proceeding distance above the depot, he
seized iron rail and placed it the track Further
on he lifted wooden tie upon the track in such
ner that the train must strike It, Near this tie he rolled
heavy stone, and at about five hundred rods from
the depot, at turn in the railway he
placed pile Of ties bracing them in such manner
that train coming in contact must be thrown Off As
1t happe ned man named Terrell, who at work in
piece of woodland near the track, Powell place
the distractions and overheard words he ut
tered Standing in fear of Powell whom he
thought dangerous man, Terrell did not
make his presence known until Powell had
finished his work. Then he stepped from am
bush and the hend in human shape discovering him
fed Terrell made his way to Stepney depot and in
formed the railroad authorities there, who caused the
Instructions TO be removed barely in time to allow the
downward train to pass safely Next day Supern-
tendent Franklin, Of the Housatonic road, informed
Sheriff Lewis that he had special work for him. The
Sheriff accordingly took with him Jaier w. W. Wells
and Detective W. C. Marsh and after long pursuit caught
and arrested the offender and lodged him safely in jail
Powell, by advice Of his counsel, pleaded guilty. The
Court however fixed the at twenty years. and the
prisoner who Is thirty-hve years old, will to-
morrow enter upon his long period Of prison life at
Wethersheld.