The Rise of Officer 174 (1913)

Police Officer King Baggot 174, is in love with Jane, the stenographer to the "man higher up." who has the whole of the criminal element of the city in his grasp. One evening while Jane and Officer 174 are walking along the street, he identifies the cleverest picture thief in the world getting out of an automobile and entering millionaire Forgan's Art Gallery. Suspecting that something is wrong, Officer 174 tells Jane to go home, and he, by a clever ruse, overcomes the chauffeur, puts on the chauffeur's uniform and hat and takes his place in the automobile. The picture thief comes out with the priceless treasure under his arm, and. not suspecting that the chauffeur is an officer, gives him instructions to drive rapidly away. Officer 174 drives him to the nearest police station and puts him under arrest. For his clever work be is thanked by the Commissioner of Police, who makes him a detective officer. The city is so thoroughly alarmed at the predominance of vice and gambling that the major appoints Officer 174 as lieutenant of the squad. Immediately all the denizens of the underworld, thoroughly alarmed, appeal to the "man higher up" to protect them. He sends his emissary with an offer to Officer 174 of a position at a fabulous salary as manager of an orange grove in Florida. Officer 174 promptly sees through the whole thing and kicks the emissary out of the place. He rushes with dismay to the "man higher up" and tells him that Officer 174 cannot be bought. By this time the inhabitants of the underworld are in fear. Levenstein, proprietor of the Nestor Gambling Club in the tenderloin, defies law and order and insists upon running his club. Officer 174 makes a sensational raid and arrests Levenstein, his operators and his guests. The underworld, now thoroughly frightened, is determined to adopt drastic measures, and two notorious gunmen are hired to get Officer 174 out of the way. He, by a clever ruse, outwits them by placing a dummy in his place. They fire at the dummy. Thinking they have succeeded in killing him, they rush back with the news to the "man higher up." To their amazement they find this is not the case. Then the "man higher up" makes his first mistake. He interviews the Commissioner of Police, telling him that Officer 174 is a grafter, and to prove it, he hands the commissioner some bills and asks him to mark them, and that he will find them on the person of Officer 174 in the office of the "man higher up" at 3 o'clock that afternoon. He then sends a message to Officer 174 to the effect that if he comes to the office that afternoon at 3 o'clock, the "man higher up" will make a confession and give evidence, laying bare the whole system. Jane, the officer's sweetheart, through the use of the Dictaphone, overhears the plot, and when he arrives she tries to persuade him not to go into the office; but she is too late. While he is in there the marked bills are placed in his hand. The commissioner, with several police officers, accuses Officer 174 of grafting. He is arrested and the marked bills are found in his hat. The commissioner tells him that he is to leave the force in disgrace and ignominy, when Jane arrives on the scene with the Dictaphone and compels the commissioner to listen to the voice, wherein the whole plot, the "man higher up" and his accomplices are revealed. Then the commissioner arrests the '"man higher up" and the city is relieved of a terror that has menaced it so long.