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1-21 of 21
- Locksmith duped by burglar to commit crimes, jailed. Fellow inmates befriend him to exploit his skills for prison break. Plot revolves around his naivety being taken advantage of, leading to criminal entanglements.
- Gentleman burglar Raffles tries to get his hand on a priceless pearl.
- A.J. Raffles and his friend Bunny travel aboard a luxury liner where a necklace is stolen. The Amateur Cracksman is believed to have done it. This unusual jewel thief returns the pieces afterwards, asking that reward money be sent to the Soldier's Fund. But who is this mysterious man who steals for sport and charity?
- Philibert Bretonneau signs novels which are actually written by Moluchet, his secretary, secretly in love with Bretonneau's charming wife, Pauline... One day, Jim la houlette, the king of thieves, resurfaces in France. He steals jewels from Madame Clisson, the wife of a lawyer. Saint-Lévy, Bretonneau's publisher, has an idea : to simulate the theft of a manuscript by Jim la houlette, in fact by Moluchet posing as the criminal. But Moluchet, confronted by the real Jim, lets him run away and is arrested...
- Retired gem merchant Peter J. Martin hires detective Dan McRae to guard a large diamond which he plans to present to his daughter Ruth on her twenty-first birthday. Notorious jewel thief Gentleman Joe overpowers McRae, however, and takes his place at Ruth's party. Meanwhile, Martin's nephew, Robert Kendall, who plans to steal the diamond to repay heavy debts, enlists Ruth's brother Harold as an unwitting accomplice. The plans go awry, however, resulting in Martin's murder by Kendall, secretly witnessed by Joe. Harold is found next to the body and later confesses to patricide to stop an intense police interrogation. When Joe hears that Harold has been charged with murder as well as the theft of the diamond, he determines to help him. Joe confronts Kendall, offers him a gun and gives him the choice of arrest or suicide. After writing a full confession, Kendall kills himself, thereby exonerating Harold. In his apartment, Joe entertains McRae and presents him with a jar of tobacco in which the diamond is hidden.
- Raffles and his pal Bunny are introduced to the audience in a close range portrait which shows them in animated conversation discussing some of their exploits. A lawn party is in progress at the residence of the rich Mrs. Vandergrist, and Raffles assisted by Bunny, is seen plying his profession and cleverly relieving the guests of their valuables. He extracts watches from the gentlemens pockets, politely relieves the ladies of their diamonds and jewelry, and then diverts suspicion to one of the waiters by placing his own watch in the waiter's pocket, then raising an outcry that he has been robbed. Immediately several others discover that they too, have been robbed, and the luckless waiter, upon being searched, is found to have Mr. Raffles' watch in his pocket and is, of course, believed to be the guilty party, and is hustled off by a burly policeman, while Raffles and Bunny slip away in the confusion. The guests are now leaving the lawn party, being driven away in carriages and automobiles. Raffles has marked for his next victims a prominent society couple, and proceeding to where their private carriage is waiting he throttles the coachman into insensibility and dresses himself in the coachman's livery. He then boldly drives up to the house, and Bunny, his confederate, politely escorts the victims to the carriage. They drive away, and in a lonely portion of the road the carriage stops and its occupants find themselves looking down the barrel of a revolver held by a masked highwayman. Raffles quickly relieves them of their jewelry and valuables, the lady promptly faints, and the cracksman mounts to the box and drives away. Part 2: The cracksman and his pal are seen cautiously approaching a house which they intend to burglarize. Bunny scales a ladder, pries open the window, and hands out the ''swag" to Raffles. A maid servant discovers them and gives the alarm, just as they are about to leave with their booty. A gardener and a footman suddenly appear around the corner of the house and a fierce struggle ensues in which Bunny is finally captured, but Raffles escapes. Running through the grounds, he hides behind some shrubbery and, opening his bag, brings forth a policeman's helmet and uniform, which he rapidly dons, and then rushes back to the scene of action. Bunny is still struggling with his captors, who turn him over to the supposed policeman. Raffles directs them to alarm the household and drags Bunny away. When out of sight Raffles quickly removes his uniform, and they make their escape. Those who have read the Raffles stories will remember that Mr. Raffles moves in the very best society and is never for a moment suspected of being a highwayman. This scene shows him leaving one of the swell clubs of which he is a member, accompanied by a rich clubman. They part at the foot of the steps and Raffles, hastening around the block, quickly disguises himself and when the clubman approaches suddenly steps out from the doorway and, at the point of a revolver, relieves him of his watch, diamonds and spare cash, His victim, however, decides not to submit tamely to being robbed and is, therefore, promptly "knocked out" and, while he is lying insensible on the pavement, Raffles rapidly removes his disguise and calls for help. See comes up on a run and is directed down the street, while Raffles and a bystander assist the clubman into a conveyance. Part 3: A messenger is seen leaving a bank carrying a bag of money. Raffles and Bunny follow him, having previously prepared a bag of exactly similar size and appearance. Passing through a quiet } street, they approach the bank messenger and Bunny roughly collides with him, throwing him to the ground. The bag falls from his grasp for an instant and Raffles deftly changes the bags, assisting the messenger to his feet and handing him the dummy bag, while Bunny gets away with the money as fast as his legs can carry him. The messenger, however, is suspicious and, opening the bag, discovers he has been duped. He raises a terrible outcry and starts after Raffles and Bunny, calling 'Stop thief!" while a motley crowd follows behind. The fugitives are being hard pressed, so Raffles leads the chase after himself, while Bunny doubles down a side street and escapes. Raffles then rounds the corner and makes a lightning and sensational change in his appearance. The audience see him deftly transform himself into an old and decrepit looking man with a white beard, black glasses and a slouch hat. As the crowd, with the policeman at its head, surge around the corner they meet an infirm looking old gentleman who mumblingly tells them that the man they are chasing. has gone on down the street. They dash by and Raffles goes in the opposite direction, removing his disguise as he runs. Unfortunately he drops the white beard and the policeman, returning after a fruitless chase, finds it and realizes that he has been foiled. He immediately runs in the direction taken by Raffles and is just in time to see him letting himself into his apartments. The policeman telephones for assistance and they arrange to capture Raffles in his rooms. Raffles safely regains his apartments, thinking he has eluded his pursuers. He removes his hat and coat and is just lighting the inevitable cigarette when the door is burst open and he finds himself confronted by three stalwart policemen and the bank messenger. With his customary coolness he says, ''Well, gentlemen, you have caught me at last,'' and asks permission to put on his hat and coat signifying that he will go with them. Stepping forward to the hat rack he reaches for his garments and then with lightning-like; rapidity, darts into the door of the cupboard, which he slams behind him and securely fastens on the inside. he police try in vain to open the door and finally shatter the panels, smashing the door from its hinges. They dash through the opening and as they disappear, Raffles calmly steps out of the wardrobe, which is connected with the cupboard by a secret panel. Stopping long enough to pick up the bag of money which they, in their excitement have left on the floor, he waves them an ironical adieu and disappears through the door leading to the street.
- A woman kisses a gem thief in error and he gives himself up to placate her husband's jealousy.
- Dorothy informs the cracksman that when he has finally renounced his life of thieving he may return to her and claim her. The cracksman resolves to be worthy of her. In his home he doubts his ability to reform and takes out his revolver. A vision of the girl comes to him and he is about to cast it aside when a tray of gleaming jewels crosses his vision. His resolution wavers. He places the gun in his pocket and sallies out. In the street he comes to a window full of jewels. Turning to the left he observes a window with a crepe upon it. The influence of the girl causes him to enter this house, and he sees a sorrowing couple bending over the bed of a sick child. He ponders, sick at heart, then enters the rich man's house. Stealing behind him he observes the fellow crossing the name of a child worker from his list of wage earners. At the point of a gun the rich man is forced to the poor man's house and shown the misery which he has caused. Back in his own house the factory owner is made to promise on paper that he will pay his employees a living wage. Underneath this the cracksman signs to the effect that he will return his ill-gotten gains to charity.
- Carlton, disapproving of his dissipated son and the latter's scheming wife, on his death-bed makes his will in favor of his devoted niece, Marcia. Hearing of this the previous couple plan to balk the father; their scheming is overheard by the cracksman, who has stealthily entered the house. The son and his wife retire and the cracksman creeps upstairs and enters Marcia's room. Affected by her beauty and innocence as she lays sleeping, he determines to assist her; following the son into the sick man's room he snatches the stolen will from his hand. Impatient at the delay the wife goes to the room and finds her husband stunned. She screams. The father awakens, gropes about and falls dead. In his own apartment the cracksman looks over the document and later he reads in the papers where the question of millions is at stake. Making a dummy he takes them both to the house where the original came from in time to prevent Marcia being bundled out. Holding the dummy up the cracksman extorts money from the son for it and then bums it. But ere the son can take possession the real will is brought forth; he holds the scheming couple at bay while Marcia makes her escape.
- "Big Robbery. Watchman Chloroformed. Supposed to be the work of the notorious criminal, the Phantom Cracksman," read this newspaper article. It was a big joke at the police headquarters and the joke was on Nolan, who had sworn he would capture this elusive crook. It was the talk of all the clubs. Mr. Brandt, of the Republican Club, sneered at what he called the inefficiency of the police. "I'd like to see him rob my house," was the last remark as he left the club that evening. A few hours later the joke was on him. Notwithstanding his elaborate system of burglar alarms, "The Phantom Cracksman" walked in and cleaned out his safe while he was dozing on a chair in the adjoining room. The police and press were soon on the scene and also some of his friends from the club. The police pointed out that the burglar had entered through a window which was fairly obvious, as Mr. Brandt had seen him go out that way, and the garden path below showed evidences of bad marksmanship. Brandt was getting worked up into a rage. The reporters made notes, but no one seemed to do anything. A few weeks later he was robbed again and this time he caught a glimpse of the "Phantom Cracksman's" face. He was surprised to find that it was the face of a woman. It was months before he saw her again, this time as a woman of fashion, who knew how to spend (his) money lavishly and artistically. Controlling himself with an effort, he sent the hotel clerk for the police and addressed her. As she turned to flee he seized her by the wrist. Two or three flashes from her eyes and one or two pleading remarks and he was on her side and ready to stand between her and the police. But the wages of sin; she died in his arms with a bullet in her lungs.
- Sir Horace Wyvern's daughter, who was to be married shortly, had received some valuable presents for her wedding, largely from the grateful patients of her father, who was the greatest brain specialist in Europe. Cleek, in disguise, went to the police station and left a letter there, in which he coolly informed the astonished officers that he intended to steal Sir Horace's jewels on the following night. Police inspector Narkhorn, and a trusty detective named Petrie, went to the Wyvern mansion on the evening in question, and were admitted to the room in which the wedding presents were placed. Telling Sir Horace and his niece, Miss Lorne, that they might retire without fear, Narkhorn hid himself under the table in the room, leaving Petrie to watch the door outside. Shortly after Sir Horace had retired, Cleek, disguised as the great doctor, appeared in the hallway, and coming into the room, told Narkhorn that he feared Cleek might get in through the cellar window. Narkhorn accompanied the false nobleman down to the cellar, where Cleek overpowered and bound him. Then disguised as Narkhorn, Cleek returned to the jewel room. Miss Lorne suddenly appeared, and hearing Petrie's story about Sir Horace's reappearance, said that she had locked Sir Horace safely in his room to keep him from all danger. The supposed Narkhorn ordered Petrie to rush down to the cellar to investigate. While he was gone, Cleek cleared the jewels from the table and went out through the window. But the beauty of Miss Lorne had made a deep impression on Cleek. He returned half the jewels with a note promising to return the rest if Sir Horace would grant him an interview. Sir Horace readily consented, and Cleek appearing, confessed that he had spent his entire life in the study of criminal methods, and was tired of the hunted, evil existence. Hereafter, if the opportunity were given him, he would atone for his crime against society, by safeguarding it against the attacks of other evil-doers. Narkhorn gladly offered to take him on his staff of detectives, and the picture closes with the police sergeant and his erstwhile enemy shaking hands.
- Robert Thatcher invents a device to protect banks from thieves. This is bought up for a few thousands by Thomas who later makes a million out of Thatcher's invention. Thatcher, discovering a weakness in his system, perfects this, and when he offers the perfect invention to Thomas for $50,000, his offer is refused and he is ordered out of the office. This breaks his heart and he dies in poverty. His young son, Robert, about to finish his course at an institute of technology, discovers the truth about the Thomas patent and how his father was cheated. He gets work in the Thomas shops and deliberately sets about to prove the weakness of the "Safe Protective" system. When he has gained all the knowledge he needs he sets out to break every bank carrying the Thomas system. His little sweetheart, Madge, afraid to let him go alone, accompanies him, attired in boy's suit and cap. The Thomas people receive reports from all their protected banks, telling of a mysterious cracksman, who, with master hand, opens every safe, proving that the Thomas System has a flaw. But strange to relate, the bank breaker steals not a cent. A detective is put on the case and one night he apprehends Robert and his little "pal" in the act of breaking into the Shoe and Leather Bank. The girl breaks down and Robert tells their story to the detective whose sympathy is awakened. He goes to Thomas and tells him that unless Robert is given $50,000 and a share in the business created by his father's invention, he will spread the story broadcast through the medium of the press. Thomas is forced to agree to this demand and Robert comes into his own at last.
- A girl thief weds a Lord and her ex-partner dies trying to bomb her.
- The young lawyer took the cracksman's part when he was falsely accused. Later, the chemist, in revenge for his fancied wrong, refused the lawyer's wife the serum which would save her husband's life. It was then the cracksman showed his gratitude.
- Raffles and Bunny travel to a country estate--ostensibly for a week of cricket--with a plan to steal a priceless diamond necklace. They soon learn that two other thieves are also there, as is the dogged Inspector Mackenzie. For Raffles, this merely adds intrigue to the game.
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