A gang consisting of the Frog, who can dislocate his limbs; the Dope, a drug addict; Rose, who poses as the Dope's brutalized mistress; and Burke, the leader; prey on the sympathies and contributions of Chinatown sightseers, until Tom, reading about a deaf, mute, and nearly-blind supposed faith-healer called the Patriarch, living upstate, plans to take greater advantage of the public's gullibility. and Rose poses as the patriarch's long-lost niece and the Frog fakes a cure, when a real crippled boy, inspired by seeing the Frog's contorted limbs healed, walks for the first time. When news spreads and other cures occur, the gang collects much money, but gradually, each member, influenced by the Patriarch and the country atmosphere, changes for the better. The Frog becomes a widow's adopted son, while the Dope falls in love. When Rose almost falls for a millionaire, Tom overcomes his murderous jealousy and, renouncing his past, declares his love. After the Patriarch dies, Tom and Rose marry.
—AFI