The Texas Marshal

In a small Texas town, Ernest Moore has founded the League of Patriots, which promotes patriotism and law and order. Unknown to the participants, Moore and his secret partners, Titus and banker Henderson, are actually using the league to cover up their plans to buy out the ranchers in order to gain control of valuable tin deposits found in the area. One night, Titus murders rancher Gorham after he threatens to expose Moore's scheme. At the nearby Adams ranch, meanwhile, ranch foreman Buzz has organized a band to play for a live radio show and waits for his star singer, Adams' ranch hand Art, who arrives late from a League meeting. Art, who is engaged to Adams' daughter Margery is a devoted member of the League despite Adams' disapproval. Moore pressures Adams to sell because his ranch contains the largest ore deposits, but the rancher warns him that he has sent for marshal "Trigger" Tim Rand to investigate Gorham's murder. Titus ambushes Tim on his way to Adams' ranch and believes that he has killed him. However, Tim has feigned his death and reports to Adams, who fills him in on his suspicions about Moore. Buzz, meanwhile, pressures Art to sign a radio contract after their featured performance earns them a national show, but Art is too busy with the League to commit. One night, Titus catches Tim and Adams eavesdropping on a meeting and beats Adams up. Tim comes to Adams' aid, and Titus runs off without recognizing the marshal. To protect himself, Moore asks Henderson to keep the ore samples and deeds to ranches he has already purchased in the bank safe. One day, Tim investigates Gorham's house and finds a burned belt and a bullet in the fireplace. Adams is then shot by Titus, but is only wounded. Art recognizes Titus and informs Moore, who claims that Titus is out of town. Titus walks in on them and makes an incriminating slip-of-the-tongue, and based on Art's story, Tim sneaks into Titus' room at night, then collects the bullet that Titus subsequently fires at him. The bullet matches the one he pulled out of Gorham's fireplace, as well as the one from Adams' shoulder wound. Art angrily goes after Titus when he learns that the bullets match, and is about to shoot him in Moore's office when Tim enters and arrests the killer. Art then signs a contract with Buzz, and when he and Tim visit Titus in jail, Tim pretends to know the details of Gorham's murder to pressure Titus into confessing. Titus confesses that Moore is the mastermind, so Buzz invites Moore to make a League speech during his next broadcast. Buzz obtains Moore's fingerprints during the broadcast, while Tim robs the bank safe and finds the deeds and ore samples. When the ore and deeds are then stolen from his room, Tim realizes that Henderson must also be involved in Moore's activities, and he and Art devise a plan to entrap Moore. When Moore and his gang ride out of town, Tim pretends to chase them, but goes only part way, and returns to town. Art is posted outside the jail with a shortwave radio in his saddle, which he plans to use to warn Tim, who believes Moore will break Titus out of jail. As expected, Moore returns for Titus, but Art is captured by the gang before he can report to Tim. Art manages to reset the radio as the outlaws talk about their escape route to the border. Tim and Adams overhear the conversation and arrest the gang. Art then returns to the ranch just in time for his broadcast.