The Argument (1918)

The acquittal of a rich youth on an insanity plea prompts attorney John Corbin to boast to Dr. Richard Hyde that he could kill his wife and, with proper counsel, go free. Returning home, Corbin surprises his wife's lover in her bedroom. Although the man escapes, Corbin kills his faithless wife and confesses immediately to the police. Abetted by expert counsel and Dr. Hyde's medical testimony, Corbin is freed after a short confinement in a mental institution. At the wedding of Corbin's son, John Jr., and Hyde's daughter Wyllis, the physician asks the attorney if he recognized his dead wife's lover. Corbin, aware of his friend's guilt, responds that, for the sake of their children, he hopes not.