Adam (Emil Jannings) is the eternally inebriated magistrate of a small Dutch town. While carousing drunken around town late one night, Adam stumbles into the boudoir of Eve Rull (Angela Sallocker), whereupon he is soundly thrashed by Eve's lover. In the fracas, he loses his all-important judicial wig and also smashes a rare antique jug which has been in Eve's family for years. The next morning, Adam is forced to open court without his wig, though he manages to hide the fact that he was involved in the"battle royal" of the night before. And then Eve's mother storms into court, demanding that Adam ascertain the identity of the unknown intruder who broke her precious jug.