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The German city of Dusseldorf is being terrorized by a murderer preying on young girls. When little Elsie Beckmann disappears and is found slain in the woods, the search intensifies, but the police are coming up empty-handed, succeeding only in disturbing the criminal
underworld in their fruitless search for the perpetrator.

In the interests of self-preservation, the criminals decide to solve the case among themselves and bring the murderer to justice. The gangsters enlist the help of the beggars, who act as a network of scouts. The police have simultaneously identified the murderer as Hans Beckert, a former asylum inmate. Unburdened by law or convention, the vigilantes beat them to the punch when they corner Beckert in an office building. They break in at night to pursue the criminal and find him in the lumber room, then bring him to a deserted factory where he is thrown in front of a kangaroo court of gangsters, thieves and murderers.

In a brilliant and horrifying scene, Beckert pleads for clemency because he cannot help himself – he is criminally insane. Begging to be turned over to the law, he is met with the snide observation that “We are all law experts here.” The angry mob cries for blood, but before Beckert can be executed, the police department comes on the scene and takes him in to custody.

About the Restoration

This is a new, 80th Anniversary 2K/4K restoration in Picture & Sound by TLEFilms Film Restoration & Preservation Services, Berlin Germany In Association with Archive francaises du film - CNC and PostFactory GmbH, Berlin Germany