Dead Line

After a night of gangster terrorism in a large metropolitan city, the police haul in some of the perpetrators. The Evening Gazette runs the headline that financier Roger Renfrew will head the City Reform League in a fight to clean up city politics. The article states that a reign of unchecked gangster terrorism has shaken the city administration to its foundations and caused the resignation of the chief of police. The Gazette editor, Madison, claims he played no small part in getting Renfrew appointed. Madison is actually being controlled by crime boss Brad Franklin, who also gives orders to the timid Renfrew. With Renfrew in office, Franklin is confident that the city is now completely in his control, and he doles out gambling, slot machine and lottery rackets to his henchmen. Madison and Franklin are conspiring to eliminate The Daily Press , the Gazette 's rival newspaper, which is run by honest newsman John Parker. The Press missed the Renfrew story because Franklin's men had threatened spineless city editor Stanley, and he had taken fearless, animated cub reporter Dick Laurence off the city hall beat. When Parker reads the Gazette 's story, he is outraged, and chastises Stanley, who blames Dick. After Dick returns to the newsroom with fake handcuffs and a water pistol and uses them on Stanley, he is fired. When Parker asks Dick why he did not cover the story, he tells him that racketeers are running the reform league and Madison is in league with them. Anxious to prove that the press cannot be manipulated, Parker assigns Dick the reform league story and promises him a raise and a bonus if he succeeds. Dick eagerly promises to get Renfrew's resignation. Stanley calls Renfrew to clear himself from any association with the Press 's reporting. Dick's girl friend, May, who also works for the Press , listens to Stanley's call from an adjoining phone booth and upbraids him for being a coward. When Dick visits Renfrew's office, two of Franklin's men accost him, but he bests them, handcuffs them with his fake cuffs, and takes their photograph. May has followed with a policeman, and when Renfrew denies any connection with the hoods, they announce that Franklin is behind him. Fearing retaliation from Franklin for failing to back his men, Renfrew calls Madison, who advises him to meet Franklin's henchman, Edwards, who will lead Renfrew to Franklin's secret apartment. Dick listens in on the telephone conversation and tails Renfrew by jumping through the window into