 This picture is intended to portray the evil of the gangster in New York. The first scene shows New York s other side. The poor musician is engaged to be married to a young woman and leaves for another city to accept an engagement whereby to improve his condition monetarily.While he is away the little one is forced to work at sewing to support her invalid mother and herself. Later on, in going to deliver some of her work, she meets "Snapper Kid" who is the chief of one faction of the gangsters of Pig Alley in the slum quarters. There are two factions of these gangsters. Like the musketeers of old, they go about, each side alert that they will not be taken unawares by the other. About this time the little girl s mother dies and she finds herself alone, but the musician returns with replenished purse to become the protector of the little orphan. He meets the musketeers in Pig Alley and "Snapper Kid" relieves him of his wallet. Going to the girl, he vows to her that he will recover his stolen money at all hazard, and consequently leaves to make the rounds through the slums in the hope of apprehending the thief. In this new sorrow, a friend stops in to see the little lady and induces her to go with her to the ball, hoping thereby to cheer her a little. At the ball, the girl meets one of the gang, and he being a decent looking chap, she dances with him and accepts his invitation to drink a soft drink. This he drugs, and had it not been for "Snapper Kid" who sees this act from a distance, she would have drunk it, but the kid intervenes. This further riles the other faction of the gang, and fearing the "Big Boss" they go outside to settle the trouble. We show several scenes of their following each other with the hope of one taking the other by surprise. For a long time they are ever on the alert. Finally a gun fight ensues and in the struggle "Snapper Kid" rushes through one of the hallways in his endeavor to escape the police, and is met by the musician, who, before the kid realizes what he has done, recovers his wallet, making his way hurriedly back to the girl. The kid has no chance to recover his equilibrium, for the police are on his heels, and he rushes through the dark hallways until he finally comes to the apartment of the girl, just after the musician has reached there. The police trail him to this point, but as he had saved the girl from disaster the night of the ball, she, reasoning that one good turn deserves another, enables him to give an alibi to the officer which frees him.