The whole story takes place in Chicago. A policeman is murdered in a cold-blooded way in one of some illicit taprooms. Tomek Zaleska who on the ill-fated night was staying at Franek's flat is suspected of the homicide. They are both sentenced to 99 years of prison, with the conviction based merely on the testimony of one witness. Frank's mother who believes that her son is innocent after eleven years places an announcement in the local newspaper in which she offers 5000 dollars reward for anybody who would prove the innocence of her son. The chief editor of Chicago Times gets interested in the case and commissions to one of his journalists, McNeal (in this part great James Stewart) writing an article about it. Initially his view on the issue is quite skeptical, but later on he gradually starts to believe that Frank is innocent. He also faces the growing resistance from the local authorities.—arysto