- Episode 1: "The Oriental Death Punch" Alvin Van Cleft has a penchant for chorus girls, particularly Polly Marion. One night they leave a café and enter a taxi, closely watched by two muffled figures. As Van Cleft and the girl are riding through the park Van Cleft falls into a stupor, a mysterious hand which seems to have no attachment to a body, enters the cab and kills Van Cleft. Later Howard, his son, is notified by a mysterious voice that his father has been murdered and is the third victim, two others interested in chorus girls having preceded him. Howard notifies John Shirley, interested in criminology, and Professor Montague, a prominent physician, and they, together with Cronin, head of a detective agency, start working on the case. Shirley arrives at the conclusion that Van Cleft was murdered by the Japanese death punch, Sen Si Yao, as he is telling this to his friends he receives a telephone message that Cronin is in Bellevue Hospital with a crushed skull and that Montague may be the fourth victim. Shirley visits Cronin, who tells how he was beaten by two chaps who had been in the same taxi with him. Shirley then receives a message that he will be the next victim if he does not stop meddling in others' affairs. The professor, to the surprise of Howard, disguises himself and goes out the back way; as he jumps over the wall he is attacked by two thugs, whom he overpowers and marches to the police station.—Moving Picture World synopsis
- Episode 2: "The Mysterious Man" As Howard Van Cleft is sitting in his library he receives a telephone call warning him that if he does not desist in attempting to find the murderer of his father, he also will be a victim. Howard acquaints his friend, John Shirley, with the news. William Grimsby, an aged financier and roué, receives a warning of death. Shirley approaches him with a scheme to save his life, to which Grimsby consents. In accordance with Shirley's plan he visits the latter's apartments Shirley there makes up to resemble the aged financier and departs, leaving Grimsby ensconced in his rooms. Some time previously, Shirley had visited the office of Dick Holloway, a theatrical manager, where he was fired upon by some unknown person. He tells Dick that he wants an actress who is beautiful and at the same time fearless. Dick promises to get this sort of a girl, and sends Polly Marion, whom Shirley thinks is just the type he wants. Shirley, dressed as Grimsby, calls upon Polly and takes her to a café where the two dine. She introduces Red Warren, a café hanger-on, and a somewhat mysterious individual. When Shirley and Polly leave, they cannot find their own taxi and are forced to take another. As they ride along, the two begin to grow drowsy. Shirley finds the windows securely fastened. With Polly's diamonds he cuts the glass. On the road he is attacked by a muffled figure, which springs to the side of his car. He tries to detain the figure, but he escapes. Then, gagging and binding the chauffeur, whom he puts into the machine so that Polly can keep guard over him, Shirley drives home, where he finds Grimsby dead. Polly gets a mysterious phone call telling her to beware or she will be the next victim. Shirley likewise receives the same warning, but it only makes him more determined to solve the mystery.—Moving Picture World synopsis
- Episode 3: "The Spider's Web" John Shirley, detective, arrives at his apartment in time to receive a telephone from the voice on the wire that his colleague, Polly Marion, is in danger. He is about to start to her apartment when he finds that his car has been stolen. He reports the theft to the police, but finds his car with a note of warning in it. He starts on his mission, but the car explodes from a bomb, and he goes to the police station and explains. He is delayed, but arrives in time to save Polly from being killed by a mysterious hand. That night he and Polly go to a party at the rooms of the mysterious Red Warren. Red forces Polly to ask Shirley to meet her there. Shirley notices that Warren's hand bears a resemblance to the hand of the morning's adventure. The fact is noticed as Warren is showing him an old family coat-of-arms, telling him that an ancestor of his had a grafted hand. They leave the party at a late hour, and Shirley is attacked on his homeward journey, succeeding, however, in overpowering his assailants. Arriving home he finds that Howard Van Cleft, the young millionaire, has sent a note telling him of a contemplated yachting cruise, as he fears to remain in the city longer. Shirley phones for assistance and hurries to the deck, where, in a running fight on the river, he saves the life of Howard and sees him safely started on his journey. He arrives home after his day's adventure and accidentally reads in a medical journal of a wonderful operation in which a human hand has been grafted upon an arm. He thinks of Warren and recalls the coat-of-arms. He cannot fathom the fact that the mysterious hand was disembodied. The mystery is now deeper than ever.—Moving Picture World synopsis
- Episode 4: "The Next Victim" Detective Cronin has arrested Shirley's Japanese valet Sato and is surprised to receive a message from Shirley to release Sato, but he does so. He follows Sato to a garage where he is overcome by two crooks. One is induced to change places with him. Cronin escapes and Sato discovers the deception and kills the crook. Cronin soon learns the phone message was false. "Red" Warren has kidnapped Polly Marlon and is determined that she shall pay the price that night. Shirley finds in Polly's apartments the list of those condemned by the "Voice," and noting the name of John Vance, warns Vance to phone him of any unusual happening. Shirley, Cronin and Short drive to Warren's home, and force an entrance. Shirley climbs up to the bedroom in which Polly is held prisoner. Warren at last opens the door, only to foil the detectives by jumping into the room and locking the door. His assassin is in the act of choking Polly. But a shot is fired and the man falls as Cronin and Short break in and cover Warren with a revolver. The phone rings and Shirley is lifting the receiver, Warren breaks away, and swings a blow at Shirley's jaw. A mysterious hand is seen at the phone, and they hear a voice say, "Fix everything for Vance tonight." They dash to Vance's home and find he has received a note warning him of trouble. Later, Shirley lies in Vance's bed, Cronin sits beside Vance, revolver in hand, and Polly guards the library. At midnight a hand appears near the bed. Shirley fires and the hand disappears. Cronin and Polly run into the room, where they discover blood stains, and then realize their folly in leaving Vance unprotected. They rush back only to find him dead. The window curtains are moving, but no one is to be seen. The phone rings again. Shirley lifts the receiver but dashes it to the floor. His disappointment is so intense that he breaks down, and Polly goes toward him to offer sympathy.—Moving Picture World synopsis
- Episode 5: "The Spectral Hand" After the discovery of the mysterious death of John Vance, Shirley, Cronin and several other men are sitting at the breakfast table when John Cams is announced and asks to see Vance. Upon seeing the corpse of his friend. Cams mutters "Paris, Paris, Paris." By the list of persons condemned by the "Voice," Shirley sees that John Cams' name follows that of Vance. He determines to keep Cams in his own home to try to prevent further disaster. Two detectives are sent to "Red" Warren's home, but find no one there. They enter and are puzzling over the phone being disconnected when but a few minutes before Shirley was called over this instrument, when Warren, his hunchback and a crook, taking them by surprise, make them prisoners. Shirley becomes alarmed because of the non-appearance of the two men and sends Cronin after them. Arriving at "Red's" before he can be seized, Cronin, too, is taken prisoner. Warren receives a mysterious message over the phone which informs him that Cams must be "gotten" no matter what it costs, even though Shirley is keeping him in his own home. At midnight Shirley, Dr. Reynolds and a detective are still guarding Cams. Each man holds a revolver in readiness for any emergency that may arise. Slinking around the house of Shirley are "Red" and his accomplices. In spite of all their strategy and mysteriousness they are as yet unable to get Cams.—Moving Picture World synopsis
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