The Gambler's Doom

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Mr. Francis is a young man of most reckless and extravagant habits. He dissipates, gambles and plays cards to such an extent that he is soon head over ears in debt. Accordingly, he goes to his long-suffering uncle, from whom he has been in the habit of borrowing money, always without any intention of paying it back. Mr. Freeman, the wealthy uncle of Mr. Francis, tired of being swindled so often and for such large amounts, tells his nephew that he has no money to lend him. The nephew points to the safe and intimates that his uncle can produce money from it if he so desires. Freeman refuses point blank, turning his back towards his nephew and the safe. Young Francis, evidently expected a rebuff, for he stealthily draws a revolver from his hip pocket, but on reconsideration puts it back. His uncle, unknown to him, has witnessed this act in a mirror. Francis goes away in a rage. Then the old man writes a note, seals it in an envelope and calls his faithful manservant, John. He gives him the note, after he had written on the envelope. "To my faithful servant, John. Not to be opened until after my death." John accepts the note with some hesitation. Then the scene changes and old Freeman is seen lying in a chair with a fatal bullet wound in his temple and a revolver on the table near his hand. The police arrive; the nephew and the servant are called and a coroner's verdict decides "death by suicide." The police then leave, expressing sympathy with the nephew. After their departure, John remembers the note. He goes to his room, pulls open a drawer, finds and opens the communication. In it he reads that Francis intends to kill the old man, who, however, had no desire to die. It stated further that in the safe was a motion picture camera, which contained a film on which would be found a photographic revelation of Freeman's murder. John takes out the negative film, has it developed, and as a result, instructs the police to bring Mr. Francis to a certain moving picture show on a given date and hour, without arousing his suspicions. Then we see the people crowded into the theater, among them the guilty nephew and the police in plain clothes. The show commences and the entire shooting scene with the events leading up to it are projected on the screen. The startled Francis rises up in haste to leave but the police arrest him and hurry him away to the "Gambler's Doom."