The story
“John Strong is an explorer, and returning to his native town after a very successful voyage, he is honored by the proprietor of the local waxworks place by having a life-size wax figure of himself displayed in the museum. Strong resents the publicity forced upon him thus, and when he sees the wax figure itself, which is a grotesque likeness, he determines that he will not have it on exhibition. He tries to buy the figure. Warner, the proprietor of the waxworks, however, is vastly proud of his possession, and refuses to sell. Assisted by two young men (friends of his daughters) Strong has the figures spirited away, while he himself takes its place in the museum. The two carry off the dummy. The young men are forced to leave the wax figure hanging out of the window. It is spied by a policeman, who starts in pursuit. He suspects foul play. When the policeman and the crowd which follows him finally catch up with the carriage, they are horror-stricken at catching the two young men in the act of hurling their victim overboard. The supposed murderers are arrested despite their protestations of innocence and marched off to jail. The appearance of Strong himself at the right moment turns a supposed tragedy into a farce, when he tells the true story of the affair.”
Summary from The Moving Picture World · 24 August 1912
