John Douglas divorces his wife, taking custody of their son Kenneth and leaving her with their little daughter Kathleen. Mrs. Douglas dies in poverty, and Kathleen falls in with crook Jack Baggot and his wife, who teach her how to pick pockets.

Robert Strickland, the self-confessed murderer of Gerald Trask, refuses to defend himself on the witness stand. His attorney, however, cross-examines Strickland's wife.