As Silver City prepares for the first hanging by the new hydraulic gallows system, Stone begins to doubt the guilt of the young man sentenced to death. Using a new technique called ballistics, Finch re-examines the evidence, while Stone encounters anger over the re-opening of the case.

A dead body discovered at the edge of town disrupts the Mayor's promotion of Silver City to political party leaders. Pressured for an immediate arrest, Stone, Finch and Katie follow a trail of evidence that leads to Luci's brothel, with Luci as their prime suspect.

An old friend of Marshal Stone's, a legendary gunfighter, comes to Silver City to try to retire, but first decides to assist Stone in pursuit of a gang that robbed a stagecoach and killed all the passengers.