- Tex, a famous detective, recounts the story of how he went into the crime business: While visiting his old friend, Jack Nelson, a dispute breaks out between Nelson and his butler. Later that night, Nelson is murdered, and the next morning the murder weapon, a knife, is discovered next to the body. Edna, the victim's wife, seizes the knife, and Tex, fearing that she is about to kill herself, throws the weapon out the window. Interpreting Tex's actions as incriminating, the police arrest him, and he is sentenced to prison. Two years later, a fire breaks out at the penitentiary, and Tex's bravery in saving the warden's wife and child wins him a pardon. Determining to solve Nelson's murder, Tex searches for the butler but discovers him to be innocent. Summoned to Edna's deathbed, Tex hears her confess to the crime, thus causing him to devote his life to solving crimes and saving innocents from being convicted on circumstantial evidence.—AFI
- Tex visits his old friend Jack Nelson. Nelson's wife, Edna, is also an old acquaintance of Tex. That night, Nelson gets into an argument with his butler and fires him. During the night, Tex is awakened by a whistle. When he goes out into the hallway, he meets Edna's maid, and notices she is fully dressed and about to leave the house. He returns to bed. In the morning, Nelson is found stabbed to death. Edna, hysterical, attempts to kill herself with the same knife, but Tex stops her. He throws the knife out the window. When the police arrive, Tex tells them about the quarrel between Nelson and the butler, and also about seeing the maid in the hallway in the middle of the night. The maid then accuses Tex of the murder, claiming that he was fond of Edna, and that he tossed the knife out the window. Tex is convicted on this circumstantial evidence and sentence to life in prison. A few years later, the prison catches fire, and when the guards open the cells, there is a jail break. Tex stays behind, and saves the warden's wife and child from death. He is pardoned, and sets out to clear his name. He visits Edna, but she and others reject him because of his alleged crime. He then traces the butler, and finds the man is now an underworld character. He brings the butler to justice, but discovers he was not the murderer. When he hears Edna is dying, he arrives just in time to hear her confess to her husband's murder. He then decides to devote his life to solving crimes and saving innocent people who were convicted on "circumstantial evidence."
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