Murder in the Big House

Morning News reporter Scoop Conner visits death row inmate Malloy in the prison. Malloy hints at plans to name corrupt officials before his execution, signaling a dangerous exposé to come. The conversation establishes Malloy's intent to incriminate others to avoid dying in silence.

Malloy’s lawyer Burgen comforts him with a supposed governor’s pardon, claiming the sentence will be commuted to life in a radio speech. It’s a cynical ruse meant to keep Malloy quiet or to manipulate the outcome. The scheme foreshadows the corrupt deals at the heart of the plot.

Bert Bell and Gladys Wayne debate how to cover Malloy’s case, weighing the risks and rewards for a young reporter. Gladys offers sharp, practical advice while Bert hopes this assignment proves his worth. They discuss the pressures of chasing a major scoop.

Editor Jim Ainslee contacts the governor and confirms the impending execution will proceed as planned. He assigns Scoop to go to the prison to obtain incriminating information, signaling a high-stakes assignment for the newsroom. The assignment sets the investigation in motion.

Scoop, overwhelmed by drink, cannot proceed, so Gladys takes charge and decides to handle it herself with Bert accompanying her. They head to the prison to pursue Malloy’s story. The moment marks a shift in investigative leadership from Scoop to Gladys and Bert.

The night is stormy as heavy thunder echoes the weight of the event. Warden Bevins tells reporters that Malloy was punished by a higher power via a bolt of lightning through his cell window. The dramatic moment frames the execution as something larger and more ominous than a routine killing.

Malloy’s body is displayed for the newsroom and the doctor confirms death by electricity. The incident becomes the centerpiece of the investigation, with the press already speculating about foul play. The official narrative begins to crack as questions arise.

Ainslee fires a staffer and then assigns Scoop, Bert, and Gladys to the Malloy case. The team is told Malloy was murdered in the electric chair to prevent him from talking. The fresh directive galvanizes a more serious, coordinated investigation.

The team hears that Malloy could not have been brought to the chair without someone’s knowledge, planting seeds of doubt about the official story. The investigation shifts from reporting to uncovering who orchestrated the ruse. Skepticism drives the pursuit of a hidden conspiracy.

On their way back from pursuing leads, Scoops and colleagues are targeted by another car, resulting in a high-speed crash. Scoop is seriously injured in the wreck, and Bert sets off to find help while Gladys stays with him. The collision intensifies the danger surrounding the case.

While visiting Mrs. Gordon, Bert learns that Malloy had been listening to the governor’s speech through headphones that may have been electrified, hinting at a method used to influence or control outcomes. This information deepens the mystery and points toward a technology-based murder mechanism. Bert relays what he’s learned to the newsroom.

On Gordon’s execution night, the warden arranges for him to receive headphones, connected to the high-voltage chair, mirroring Malloy’s supposed mechanism. The parallel suggests a systemic, orchestrated method rather than a single isolated crime. Bert realizes the same trick is being replicated to execute the corrupt plan.

Bert exposes the method to the authorities and confronts Warden Bevins, who tries to resist. A struggle ensues during which Bert has previously removed the bullets from Bevins’ gun, giving him a tactical edge. The scene heightens the tension toward moral reckoning and accountability.

Defeated, Bevins breaks and names the corruptors, with lawyer Burgen prominently implicated. The confession shifts the investigation from speculation to criminal exposure. Loyalties are tested as the ring of corruption begins to crumble.

The governor decides not to execute Gordon, bringing a partial closure to the deadly scheme. Bert and Gladys end the film with a light banter about marriage, signaling a personal victory amid a larger political unravelling. The story closes on an uneasy balance between justice and compromised power.