The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-06
HIS HEART WAS BROKEN.
-, suicide Of n Convic whose wife HAD
Applied for n Divorce,

fSon u, HartroYd nmes
The quiet OF the Connecticut State
Prison, at Wethersncld, was broken, yesterday,
~ the discovery that one ~ the best liked and
most exemplary OF the cOnvicts had hanged
himself In the cell Of John Lee Powell the Off
rsrs discovered his dead but not yet entirely
u spike near the ceiling. that was used to
fssten up the bed against the. wall In the day
avunnlng moose, and this was around his neck.
me height Of the SPIKE was not sufficient TO
rsrft. and he had bent M hIs knees to make
nnre work OF ~. He was promptly cut down, but
hfe could not he restored.
John Lee Powell was in his 10Th year. He came
~ a good family in the town Of Trumbull, In
Fairfield county his father having been MEM
esteemed citizen lie lived at Stepney Depot.
He was said TO have been not n bad man at
heart and was led into the commission Of the
crime Tor which he was sentenced placing a tic
across the track of the Houaatonic rnilroadl by
the banterng wager Of some companions when
sntoxicated. The act resulted in no accident,
but the offence Is a serious one. and the convic-
s,on Of Powell on the nth ot August, 1875, was
Prison for term Of ~ years He had wife, ten
years younger than himself and two children;
Imprisonment his wife more than once visited
che prison. and assured him Of her fidelity. Two
sEddened the son in his lonely imprisonment.
Two weeks ago a legal document, In the shape
Of hlt wlfe's petition for divorce, came to
Powell IN prison from the Fairfield county SUI
perior Court. This formal notice. in which the
hhnks In the printed form were filled out with
che names OF himself his wife, and his two
ehildren, was wholly unexpected by the prls-
oner, and utterly overwhelmed him. He grew
daily more and more detected, and on Saturday
he had reached n condition which compelled
him To give up work. He had been carriage
maker, and was an expert workman; and with
the contractors who obtained his work in prison
he was "A favOrite. rs he was with Warden neNes
and the officers. none Of whom ever had Occa-
eOn TO uso n hHr-h word to him.
In his pocket was found the legal form Of the
uifes divorce petition. which had been served
OIL him IA a legal Formally.
Between the open printed lines he had writ
ten In clear hand In pencil these farew ell mos
ssgcs to his wife and family:
on. my dear wife L. tins the way you treat your
poor lcer lcert iny can't eel what this for. tell
fou truly, tor the las tnr lhst love with all my
heart. You TOO cruel die for you. Good by Tor.
ever. Good Nv, u tie rive Poor paua vi never
you again on earth. Good Nv. Charlie. Katie aud
mother. Don't think me- TOO rash tor cam I'VE md
have Leiltia leave nr. Charlie come and get mo and
fake me INC. aud Las me b, the side ui INV father
Tell father and mother Hurr ana Henry good for
IL scents hard - terrible vengeance snc has takcn,
look At the bad sid. We have nau los Of
hmee together, aud my hopes have been that wOuld
hgain-hut my holes YOU hive blasted forever For
A you have done tlie love you with all NV heart.
Whatever have written 10 on. hsye thought.
tessly would not have don for all OF tue world IL
hau thOueht ibis T YOU Co.,, dear vile ietttta
never thlnk uf the. Don't lunk that YOU ever We
eone wrOhg VIII ne, but enjoy yourself as much Ms
A. wicked As have been never could serve YOU in
rus thought hard 20 shut up mere out
nat Is nothing 10 this You are too cruel. How many
koOd tunes We ave h I'd together. alsays knew your
me last