A wealthy art collector and his wife have their property broken into in this strange, awkward comedy. Little does the thief realize, but the most prized artwork in the collection is protected by a small guillotine. He loses his hand and is then blackmailed into robbing an art dealer, who earlier in the film refused to sell a statue of an eagle.
Paris, 1888. With the help of forensic medicine, a sensational criminal case is uncovered. The chief of the Paris Sûreté, Inspector Goron, with the help of Lyon University Professor Lacassagne, is able to solve a capital crime that seemed unsolvable according to the methods of forensic science at the time.
A young bank teller, literally allergic to paper money, becomes the worst nightmare of his best customer, a wealthy butcher who manages his business unscrupulously.
Sam and Buddy, two highway robbers, join with Colonel Quint, a big crook, who sold his services to Morgan, the banker, in order to free Baby, the banker's daughter, abducted by Espartero and his killers gang.