Irish nationalist member Johnny McQueen has been in hiding for six months after escaping from prison, living with Kathleen Sullivan—who has developed feelings for him—and her grandmother. When he receives orders to rob a mill, his prolonged seclusion leads to doubts amongst his men regarding his capability. His loyal lieutenant Dennis offers to substitute for him in the heist, but Johnny firmly declines the offer.
Together with Nolan and Murphy, Johnny embarks on the robbery. However, during the escape, he finds himself lagging behind and is caught by an armed guard, whom he kills in self-defense. In the chaos, Johnny suffers a gunshot wound to the shoulder. Although he is pulled into the getaway car, he falls out as it speeds away. The driver, Pat, refuses to turn back for him. Overcome by weakness and confusion, Johnny seeks refuge in a nearby air raid shelter.
After hearing Johnny's predicament, Dennis, Nolan, Murphy, and Pat head to their "headquarters." Unfortunately, the police spot them, leading to a swift pursuit. Pat and Nolan detour to Theresa O'Brien's upscale guest house, but Murphy distrusts her and opts to leave. Their mistrust proves valid as Theresa betrays them, resulting in a gunfight with the police that claims the lives of Pat and Nolan.
Dennis manages to locate Johnny, only to be captured by the police while attempting to divert their attention. Struggling to return to Kathleen, Johnny collapses in the street, where passersby Maureen and Maudie find him, mistaking his condition for an accident caused by a passing lorry. Upon discovering his gunshot wound, they realize the identity of the man they’ve found as Kathleen's husband arrives home, leading to a heated argument on what to do next. Hearing their conversation, Johnny decides to leave in a parked hansom cab. The driver, "Gin" Jimmy, starts his search for a fare, blissfully unaware of his passenger's criminal status. When he does find out, he promptly abandons Johnny in a deserted lot.
Shell observes Jimmy's actions and wants to claim a reward from Father Tom, a Catholic priest. Just then, Kathleen arrives, desperately seeking assistance. Father Tom convinces Shell to retrieve Johnny. Upon returning home, Shell must fend off another eccentric resident, painter Lukey, who insists on posing for a portrait once again. Meanwhile, Johnny manages to revive and tiptoes into a nearby pub, where the landlord recognizes him. The landlord hides Johnny in a secluded area to keep him away from prying eyes, intending to deal with him later. Shell and Lukey, having both converged on the pub, get into a scuffle, prompting Fencie to close the bar for the evening. Fencie persuades Lukey to take Johnny away as compensation for the damage from their brawl. Lukey later brings Johnny back to his studio, where failed medical student Tober tends to his injury, but Johnny manages to escape.
In the meantime, Kathleen evades Father Tom during a visit by a police inspector on the lookout for Johnny. She arranges for Johnny's passage on a ship and begins her search for him. Shell guides Johnny towards Father Tom's location, where he fortuitously runs into Kathleen. She leads him toward the ship but soon notices the police closing in on them. In a desperate act to fend them off, she pulls out a gun and fires twice. Tragically, the police return fire, ending both their lives.
