He preaches up and down the Ohio River in the late 1920s and early 1930s, gaining the trust of wealthy widows, marrying them and then killing them for their money.
John and Pearl drift for days until they find a farmhouse near Williamstown run by Rachel Cooper, who takes care of homeless, orphaned, and abandoned children.
Yelping in pain, Powell runs into the barn and is arrested the next morning after Rachel calls the state police in Parkersburg.
[3] The tattoos on Powell's knuckles of the words "LOVE" and "HATE" have become one of the most iconic images in film history; it has been referenced and parodied in films ranging from Do the Right Thing and Blazing Saddles to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well as television shows such as The Simpsons and Seinfeld and songs by groups such as The Clash, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Coil.
The Ren & Stimpy character Reverend Jack Cheese, who goes around preaching "the gospel of meat," is based on Powell.
In the episode "It's a Dog's Life", meanwhile, Stimpy is shown to have the words "Love" and "Hate" tattooed on his upper and lower lip.