The anode, the (+) electrode is what the cathode rays( electrons) leaving the cathode were attracted/accelerated towards. read more
JJ Thompson did an experiment using a cathode ray tube and found that electrons passed from the surface of the cathode and accelerate toward the positively charged anode. The anode absorbed many electrons, but is the anode has slits some electrons will pass through. read more
He did this using a cathode ray tube, which is a vacuum-sealed tube with a cathode and anode on one end that create a beam of electrons travelling towards the other end of the tube. In Thomson's first experiment, he discovered that cathode rays and the charge they deposited were intrinsically linked together. read more