The story in one page
Ephraim Tutt, a wily, stovepipe-hat-wearing attorney, navigates the grimy, labyrinthine corridors of New York's criminal courts. Alongside his partners, he specializes in rescuing the wrongly accused, outsmarting bureaucratic prosecutors, and finding legatee-heirs in remote hamlets. Whether defending a boy framed for a broken window or navigating the linguistic swamps of grand jury indictments, the firm operates on a mix of local grit and sharp-witted courtroom maneuvering. They treat the law not as a sacred text, but as a dense, negotiable set of rules meant to be stretched until justice is served, often to the bafflement of his younger, more rigid colleagues.
Who's who
- Ephraim Tutt
A seasoned lawyer who uses unconventional methods to secure acquittals.
- Daniel Lowry
An elderly man charged with a crime, defended by Tutt.
- William Montague Pepperill
An overly confident, dandyish deputy assistant district attorney.
- Sadie Burch
An elusive legatee living in a remote New Jersey farmhouse.
- Tony Mathusek
A boy wrongly identified as a criminal due to his clothing.
What it's really about
- Legal technicalities
- Used as a shield against rigid, heartless prosecution.
- Class disparity
- The divide between the elite bar and the immigrant poor.
Why it's memorable
- Mr. Tutt placing his chimney-pot hat on a window ledge to hold his documents.
- A defendant in a burglary trial weeping upon hearing the formal, convoluted indictment.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
Danny Lowry is acquitted by a jury after they debate the technicalities of privileged communication. He tearfully pledges to defend Mr. Tutt in the afterlife.
For your book club
- The text portrays the law as a dense quagmire of impenetrable phraseology.
- Tutt prioritizes human outcomes over the strict letter of the law.