New-York tribune., 1913-05-18
Be|Iboy-La May Get Ten
Year Sentence for His Con-
neCtiOn with the ThaW
Scandal Case.
DE FORD'S STRONG PLEA
Most Dangerous Man That
Walks This Earth Is a Sharp,
Smart, Unscrupulous Law
yer" Assistant District
Attorney Declares.

The meteoric career OF John Nichol-
son Anhut. the young lawyer charged
with Offering a brlbe of $4,000 to DR..
John w. Russell to obtain Harry
Thaw's release from Matteawan, re-
ceived a setback yesterday. when a
jury before Justice Seabury, in tho
Criminal Branch Of the Supreme Court
found him guilty. He was remanded TO
the Tombs until Tuesday for sentence.
He may get ten years. The Jury was
out two hours and twenty minutes.
Relying upon the divergent testimony
given by witnesses for the prosecution
Anhut had been confident Of an acQuit-
tai. When the verdict was announced
ne wavered for an instant and threw
his arms about the shoulders Of Arthur
c. Palmer, his counsel. He withdrew
from the embrace dry-eyed and firm.
In answer TO the questions put TO him
by William Penny, clerk OF the court.
he said he was twenty-nine years old,
an attorney, residing in White Plains
and unmarried. A friend declared An
hut was engaged to a young woman In
Philadelphia.
I Before going to the Tombs Anhut was
allowed TO telephone for travelling
! bag containing some necessities which
he had left at his office, at No. 80 Wall
street. He also called up Miss Fish
\ rio ptfc
"Knocks the Props from Under Me-
There is nothing I can say" he said
between telephone messages. This
knocks the props right out from under
me-"
/ Mr. Palmer said an appeal would be
/ taken.
The principal witnesses for the prose-
cution, Harry X. Thaw and Dr. John
/ W. Russell, had differed so widely in
| their testimony that the opinion was
general that the best the prosecution
could hope for was a disagreement.
| William A. De Ford the Assistant Dis
trict Attorney prosecuting, however.
brought forcibly before the jury points
which seemed Incompatible with An
huts innocence. The jurors. it was
said, took seven ballots.
Il admit" said Mr.. De Ford IN sum-
ming up, that It IS revolving to think
of Harry Thaw sitting in the asylum
at Matteawan and weaving his golden
web which he hoped was 20 stretch
as a pathway from those walls to free"
dom. Dr. Russell may or may not havs
become entangled in that web, but the
evidence seems to me 10 be indisputable
that the defendant, Anhut my brother
at the bar, was criminally entangled.
II ne is guilty he has committed an
assault upon the integrity Of public
government in his attempt to bribe DR..
Russell.
Judge after Judge had decided that
| Thaw was insane. Two courses were
open 70 him-the legal course and the
illegal course He could use his money
and his family's money legitimately or
he could use It secretly and in the
dark. He decided TO seek the subter-
ranean means.
Had he chosen otherwise would hs
have chosen one OF the youngest and
most inexperienced members OF the
bar? Would he not have told his
family his counsel? No; he took the
crooked way.
"Thaw had no reason 10 seek TO In
jure Anhut. Dr. Russell II was who
let the cat out OF the bag-not Anhut.
Ny distinguished friend has told you
that Thaw was Russelrs friend. God
save Russell from such a friendship.
Look at them: Russell a great big.
good natured slob; Anhut, smooth, cool
and imperturbable. Who was the
crook, gentlemen. and who was the
dupe? Russell or Anhut? The most
dangerous man that walks this earth
is a sharp, smart, unscrupulous lawyer,
and especially II he is walking in tho
subterranean criminal byways which
undermine a great city.
did Thaw hire this man as
lawyer? The receipts show that he
hired him. Did he hire him as he hired
Littleton, Morschauser, Shearn? 1 tell
YOU. gentlemen, Anhut was the last
man I'm the world that Harry X. Thaw
would have hired to do legitimate legal
work