There Was a Crooked Man...

In 1883, Paris Pitman Jr. leads a crew into the home of wealthy rancher Mr. Lomax and makes off with a fortune stored in a safe disguised as a table. The ensuing shootout reveals brutal loyalties as Pitman kills several of his own men during the chaos. Lomax's wealth is taken, setting the stage for a long, dangerous hunt for the loot.

After escaping the Lomax home, Pitman hides the loot in a nest of rattlesnakes in the desert. The plan to keep the money safe and untraceable drives many future decisions. The desert becomes the rumored resting place for the hoarded wealth.

A broke and despondent Lomax visits a bordello, where he becomes a regular. The madam lets him go upstairs to peer through a peephole and watch Pitman being entertained by two of her girls. The scene shows how the hidden loot continues to haunt Lomax and Pitman alike.

Pitman is captured and convicted, receiving a 10-year sentence at a penitentiary in the Arizona Territory. His notoriety marks him as a dangerous figure within the prison system. The sentence sets the stage for a dramatic evolution of prison politics and alliances.

Pitman shares a cell with a motley crew: two con men, a man who killed his girlfriend's father by accident, a hulking gunman, a mute Chinese immigrant, and the legendary train robber The Missouri Kid. Tensions mount as their backgrounds collide and rivalries form. The mix of personalities foreshadows conflict and potential collaboration.

The corrupt warden LeGoff offers Pitman a deal to break out in exchange for a share of the loot. Pitman agrees, but the plan collapses when LeGoff is killed during an inmate uprising. The power vacuum shifts control and alters the inmates' calculus about loyalty and risk.

Woodward Lopeman, the sheriff who was shot in the earlier events, becomes the new warden. He abolishes hard labor, restricts cruel punishment, and teaches the prisoners self-respect. His reformist leadership reshapes prison life and creates a climate that influences Pitman's next moves.

Recognizing Pitman’s leadership, Lopeman has him supervise the construction of a dining hall. Pitman uses his position to rally fellow inmates and push toward his long‑term plan. The project becomes a focal point for discipline, rebellion, and ambition within the prison.

Pitman cajoles his fellow inmates into breaking out by promising each man a share of the hidden loot. The scheme grows bolder as governor’s visit looms, creating a risky window for escape. Loyalties fracture as the moment of truth approaches.

On the day the governor visits, Pitman makes his move and uses a riot as cover for the escape. The melee costs lives, with three inmates killed, and Pitman killing two more partners to protect his plan. Chaos erupts as the breakout becomes real and dangerous.

Pitman heads for the money bags hidden in the desert, but a rattlesnake bites him en route. The venomous interruption halts his advance and jeopardizes the entire escape attempt. Lopeman advances in pursuit, closing the gap as the desert becomes a deadly chessboard.

Lopeman finally catches up, collects the money and Pitman’s body, and heads back toward the prison. The pursuit is tense as the lawman preserves what remains of Pitman’s failed plan. The grim retrieval marks the end of Pitman’s direct influence over the loot.

Upon returning to the prison, Lopeman sends the mule carrying Pitman’s body into the facility and then makes a dramatic exit with the loot. He ultimately escapes to Mexico with the money, leaving the law and the dead to mark Pitman’s doomed enterprise. The story closes on Lopeman’s victory and the unresolved fate of the fortune.