In der Stadt Gun Lock City tyrannisiert der einflussreiche Richter Tabor alle Bürger, insbesondere Ben Cartwrights alte Freundin Ruth Manning. Ben versucht zu helfen und gerät damit selber ins Visier des skrupellosen Richters.
Ben's friend is struggling to keep her newspaper going in the face of harrassment by the town boss of Gunlock, so without telling her, Ben buys the business.