Jess Brown the Wells Fargo Agent in River Oaks has just been elected mayor of the town. He comes outside to give a thank you speech to the citizens. As he does his friend Miles Rogers drives up with his farm wagon. As Jess concludes his speech to return to work a train whistle blows and he falls to the ground - shot dead. Jim Hardie who is a friend of Jess is sent to investigate his murder. After the funeral he discusses the case with Marshal Dan Fogarty. The Marshal has locked up Ben Locust who was seen on a balcony watching the speech but he is sure Ben did not fire the shot as someone would have seen it. The other news is that the gunsmith says the fatal bullet is 36 caliber which is exceedingly rare in the area. In fact Jim says the only man with that caliber is a small man known as Holy Joe Feeney who is an outlaw. Sonny Boston, a friend of Locust, arrives in town. Jim talks to him as he and Locust know Feeney. Jim is fairly sure that Locust and Boston had nothing to do with the shooting. However, when another body turns up, Jim starts to find more evidence.
—Anonymous