Augustus Thomas's rural four-act comedy opened on 4 September 1893 for 64 performances at the Fifth Avenue Theatre as a vehicle for Nat C. Goodwin. In Bowling Green, Missouri, the good-hearted sheriff, Jim Radburn, secretly pays to send an impoverished neighbor's daughter, Kate, to a private school. Radburn loves Kate, but she falls for Travers, who turns out to be a thief. For Kate's sake, Jim helps Travers escape. The local citizens initially turn against him when they learn of his actions, but forgive all when various misunderstandings are unraveled. Silent motion picture versions appeared in 1914 and 1919, with Noah Beery acting in the latter.
The Historical Dictionary of the American Theater. James Fisher.