On the Night of the Fire

Will Kobling, a struggling Tyneside barber, seizes £100 from a factory after a window is carelessly left open. He hopes the windfall will rescue his finances and secure a future for his wife Kit. The act sets off a chain of consequences that pull him deeper into debt and danger.

Kit reveals she's in debt to the draper Pilleger, who has been pressing her to settle. The stolen money initially seems to ease their cash flow woes, but most of it must go to satisfy the debt. Kobling's impulse for a fresh start clashes with the mounting strain on his marriage.

Pilleger banks the stolen notes, and the police confirm the serial numbers match those from the factory. He professes innocence, claiming he doesn't know which customers held the bills. The authorities ultimately let the matter drop, uncertain of a real culprit.

Pilleger uses the connection to the stolen money to press Kobling for weekly payment, threatening to reveal everything otherwise. Kobling is terrified by the indefinite burden but feels morally compelled to consent. The arrangement tightens the noose around Kobling's fragile finances.

Facing dwindling cash and the threat of ruin, Kobling resolves to challenge Pilleger. An opportunity arises when a fire breaks out, distracting the police and the public, allowing the confrontation. He heads to Pilleger's store with the aim of ending the pressure once and for all.

Kobling confronts Pilleger and a scuffle ensues, ending with Pilleger's death. The police suspect Kobling but never proves involvement, and he remains quiet, sending Kit and their baby to stay with her sister for safety. This moment cements his status as a potential killer in the eyes of the town.

The populace shuns Kobling and clamors for justice, convinced of his guilt. Lizzie Crane, an eccentric witness, claims she saw him at Pilleger's store the night of the murder, sowing doubt about the police's case. The police refuse to rely on her word, but the rumor mill intensifies the pressure on Kobling.

Lizzie's account, though dismissed by authorities, feeds public doubt about Kobling's innocence. The town's skepticism grows as more people repeat what they claim to have seen. Kobling feels the net closing in while he remains silent.

With the investigation intensifying and exposure increasing, Kobling sends Kit and their baby to stay with Kit's sister in safer surroundings. He hopes the move will protect them from the backlash and potential danger. This separation adds emotional strain as Kobling's own future becomes more precarious.

Interrogations and psychological tactics wear on Kobling as the town demands answers. He resists breaking, maintaining silence despite relentless pressure. The weight of suspicion gnaws at him, pushing him toward a breaking point.

Kobling learns that Kit has been killed in a road accident, a blow that shatters whatever thin resolve he still had. The loss amplifies the isolation and despair he has been feeling. Her death marks a devastating turning point in his already precarious life.

The accumulated strain—financial ruin, accusations, and the death of Kit—causes Kobling to finally break. He gives in to despair in the face of the insurmountable pressure and the town's unforgiving judgment. The film closes on his grim collapse and the consequences of his choices.