In 1901 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, brothers Ed and Jack Biddle are the city’s most famous inmates and have been sentenced to hang for killing a grocer during a robbery. The Biddles have become romantic figures to many women, who stand outside the Allegheny County Jail and pray for the handsome brothers, believing they are just small-time criminals, not murderers. Kate Soffel is the wife of Allegheny’s warden, Peter Soffel, and mother to their four young children. After three months of being bed-ridden and emotionally unstable, Kate resumes her weekly routine of distributing Bibles and other amenities to prisoners. Kate arrives in the Biddles’ cellblock during a fight between Ed and two prison guards. She gives Ed a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his face, but he refuses to accept one of her Bibles. Back in the warden’s quarters, Kate continues to sleep in a separate bedroom, rather than join her husband. When Kate later brings blankets to the Biddle brothers, Ed asks her to read a Bible passage that she recommends. She tries to reassure the skeptical criminal that God cares about him. Before she leaves, he tells her he is not a murderer. While working on their upcoming appeal, Ed reminds his younger brother that he tried to convince the jury that Jack was innocent, but instead, they believed the testimony of Walter, the Biddles’ robbery partner, who was not convicted. Kate continues to visit Ed Biddle to offer spiritual guidance and encouragement, and appears melancholy when his appeal fails. Ed writes a poem on the back of his photograph and gives it to Kate in exchange for the handkerchief he received. When he grabs her hand and pulls her closer to the bars, the unexpected move leads to a kiss between them. At home, Kate prays to overcome her sinful thoughts and does not visit the Biddle cellblock for several days. She later sends a letter to the state governor protesting capital punishment and requesting a review of the brothers’ case. Angry about his wife’s actions, which could lead to his dismissal, Peter Soffel suggests Kate take a trip to visit relatives, and she appears resigned to obeying her husband. However, she changes her mind after a fire erupts in Ed’s cell and almost kills the prisoner. Ed writes Kate a letter, stating that an escape is possible if he and Jack had saws, and she grants their request. Before long, the brothers have sawed off the bars, and used candle wax to hold them in place until they are ready to escape. Kate remains committed to assisting them, but when Ed asks her for a gun, she is annoyed and declares, “you think you can sweet-talk me into anything.” On the day before the Biddles are scheduled to hang, Kate sends her four children to spend the New Year’s holiday with their aunt. In the middle of the night, the brothers remove the bars, disable two guards, and escape from their cellblock. Before leaving the prison, Ed goes to the warden’s quarters and persuades a jittery Kate to join them. The Biddles and Kate hide out briefly at the home of Jessie Bodyne, one of Ed’s female admirers. Jack and Jessie argue that Kate will impede their getaway, but Ed does not want to abandon her. Meanwhile, detective Buck McGovern, who arrested the brothers initially, arrives at the warden’s office to lead the search. Peter Soffel tells the press that a reward of $5,000 is being offered for the escaped killers. Soffel also confirms his wife is missing, but expects she has left to join their children. The Biddles and Kate jump a freight train to Perrysville, Pennsylvania, as they seek to make their way to the Canadian border. After Kate becomes fatigued walking through the snow, Ed confiscates a horse-driven sleigh. Outside Butler, Pennsylvania, the three are invited to rest at the farmhouse of an elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson, who are unaware of the travelers’ identities. In an upstairs bedroom, Kate and Ed make love, and Ed confesses to murdering the grocer. Kate forgives him and makes Ed promise to kill her if they are captured. When Harry, the Stevensons’ nephew, informs his aunt that the guests match the description of the fugitives, she leaves the house to alert police, but Ed, Jack, and Kate are able to get away without incident. Along the road, Buck McGovern and his posse catch up to them and fire a shot at Ed, injuring him. Kate insists that he keep his promise, and Ed shoots her. As the sleigh crashes, the brothers flee on foot, but they are soon cornered by the posse and killed. Meanwhile, Kate survives, and after recovering from her injuries, she is imprisoned in Allegheny County Jail. As she enters the facility, her former maid hands her a bouquet of flowers. When Kate unwraps the flowers in her cell, she finds Ed’s photograph with his poem concealed inside.