Mose Jackson runs the colored barber shop. He is enamored of Lucinda Snow, a domestic in the household of George Marston, a retired animal hunter. Lucinda is fickle, and is distracted by the glittering uniform of Gallus Brown, a Pullman car porter. Mose attends the circus to see Signor Leonardo exhibit his cage of performing leopards, and Mose is hypnotized by the brilliant, gold-braided coat worn by the Signor. Ha determines to abstract the coat. Leonardo buys some catnip for his big, spotted pets and places it in the tail pockets of his uniform coat. Mose steals the coat and puts it on. Just as he is leaving the enclosure, two of the leopards escape from their cage and, scenting the fragrant catnip, start in pursuit. Mose thinks they want to eat him and rushes frantically up the street. The situation is saved by a fortunate meeting with the Signor.
—Moving Picture World synopsis