| Plot Summary |
A child is seated on his mother's knee while she sings the old hymn, "Just as I Am." From the boy there develops a man, who has forgotten his childhood days, and becomes a desperate criminal. Known as Wilson, he affiliates with two other crooks, Hungerford and Randall. In the holdup, Hungerford shoots his victim, and makes it appear that Wilson had performed the crime, and sends Wilson to prison for the rest of his life. As the mill of the law keeps on grinding, Randall, another of the gang, becomes a convict. He meets Wilson in prison and tells him that Hungerford has reformed, and has settled down on a small farm in Wilson's home town. Wilson escaping from prison, comes to his mother's home, but is ashamed to enter. He goes down the main street. It is a Sabbath morning, and all the people are going to church. Wilson follows them and through the church windows hears them singing the hymn, "Just as I Am." It recalls the days of his childhood, and takes the vengeance out of his heart. But thinking of the injustice done him by Hungerford, Wilson again resolves to kill the man. As he goes to Hungerford's home, and as he is about to kill him from a hiding place, Hungerford's little girl runs directly in front of a runaway team. Wilson snatches the child from beneath the horses' feet, and in doing so he is fatally injured. Broken and bleeding, he is rescued by his own mother and again by her knee he breathes his last. Hungerford recognizes the man he had wronged, and is left with a guilty conscience as punishment.
Written by Moving Picture World synopsis
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