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                                                                    EXHIBIT 23.5
    
 
   
November 15, 1996
    
 
   
                   CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
    
 
   
Richard P. Kerbert
    
   
Chief Financial Officer
    
   
Phonetel Technologies, Inc.
    
   
1127 Euclid Avenue, Suite 650
    
   
Cleveland, Ohio 44115-1601
    
 
   
Dear Richard:
    
 
   
     I hereby consent to the use by Phonetel Technologies, Inc. in the
Prospectus constituting a part of its Form SB-2 registration statement of my
audit report dated April 24, 1996 relating to the financial statements of
International Payphones, Inc. (a Tennessee Corporation) as of and for the years
ended December 31, 1995 and 1994.
    
 
   
     I also consent to the reference to our firm as "experts" in accounting and
auditing.
    
 
   
Sincerely yours,
    
 
   
/s/  ERNEST M. SEWELL, CPA
    
   
Ernest M. Sewell, CPA