Christopher Grayson was a famous artist who had died in a fire six years ago. However he was spotted alive in a Bowery flophouse by George Hilton who was researching for his novel about the gutter life of New York. George quickly realised that Grayson was a drunkard and suffering from amnesia and had no memory of his life as a famous artist. George gives him lodgings in his house and encourages him to paint and sells his paintings on for $20,000. Once he has enough paintings to make a small fortune Hilton plans to kill Grayson.