- Young Blackwell, a genius in criminology, is attacked by crooks while studying his profession at close range. He falls into the hands of the gangster who had been "sent up" years before on his father's arguments. It is the gangster's chance for vengeance. As a result the elder Blackwell awakens to the fact that he is convicting his own son, as a criminal, on the same arguments he had used against the gangster.—Moving Picture World synopsis
- John Blackwell had a groat reputation as a criminologist. A certain West had been terrorizing the district of late, but the little evidence which was obtained was insufficient to convict him. However, upon the eloquent testimony of Blackwell, the gangster was sent up for a term of live years. During that time John Blackwell's son Fred had also risen to prominence and had made a mark as a criminal lawyer. One of his theories seemed to be that a type was marked for a criminal; that crime came not so much by association as by heredity. It was by this argument that he won his first case. Later, young Blackwell was also in the habit of going on frequent slumming trips to study criminology. On one of these occasions he was seen by West, now released from prison, and mindful of the fact that young Blackwell was the son of the man who sent him up, he sought a chance for revenge. Coming into the front dance hall from the back saloon, he knocked against one of the party and at the same time the lights were suddenly put out by another member of the gang. Many shots were exchanged, but when the affair was over young Blackwell was missing. West had taken him to the headquarters of the gang. A blow on the head had caused loss of memory. Although the father, John Blackwell, put many detectives on the case, he was unable to trace his son, who, a changed man with loss of memory, now lived as a crook. The case reached a crisis at the annual Stedman ball, given by Senator Stedman on his return from Washington. Here he met the very girl whom he had previously promised to marry and robbed her of her necklace. She was unable to recognize him on account of the growth of his beard. The head of the police department asked John Blackwell to take charge of the investigation against the burglars. In his den, West read the account of Blackwell's taking charge of the case. He saw another chance for revenge. He wrote the following note to Blackwell: "Be at 132 Beverly Place tonight and youse can get your burglar." Blackwell went to 132 Beverly Place that night and the house was put in darkness ready to receive the burglar. Young Blackwell entered and was suddenly confronted by the police. The lights were turned up and there stood the father holding up his own son, yet both quite unaware of the fact. In his den West gloated over his revenge. At the trial the senior Blackwell used the same arguments which young Blackwell had used five years before in convicting the criminal under his first case, "He is a marked type, not a criminal by association, but by heredity." The surroundings, the face of the man before him and the words brought the light of reason to the young man's face. His memory was restored and son and father recognized each other. So the family was again united, but it is doubtful if the noted experts on crime ever used the argument that crime was a matter of heredity, not association again.—Moving Picture World synopsis
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