On his way to the town of Vinegarroon to meet Judge Roy Bean, Tom finds a farmer and his wife dead at their home, and is arrested for their murders when a deputy of Bean finds him there. Brought before Bean, Tom manages to persuade the legendary hard-line judge of his innocence (in part by working on Bean's admiration for actress Lily Langtry) but he is unable to persuade him that the killings were not done by Apaches. The real leader of the killers is a ruthless half-breed who hates both whites and Indians and hopes his killings will cause war between both. But as the killings just start to mount, Bean appoints Tom to take his place as judge while he leaves on a stage to go see Miss Langtry perform.
—rbecker28