He looks the part, both of a musician and an insane man; being lean and lanky, with the requisite of long hair and prominent features. First of all he intrudes upon the serene study of a fair maiden at the piano; finds fault with her rendition and makes her resign the ivories to his mercy, which he pounds frantically. She calls the police. The asylum guards come after their victim. In the meantime the Mad Musician has not been idle. The guards carry him back to the asylum. He becomes so extremely polite by bowing, etc., that the guards forget themselves and allow his further escape. He scales the wall of the asylum ground and again becomes the laughingstock of the town, with the guards in close pursuit. Next we see him running toward us in this beautiful City of New Venice, California, where for several blocks overhanging balconies supported by granite columns form an arched enclosure along the sidewalk, and where many people gather to view this beautiful impressive sight. The Mad Musician spies a piano being moved across the street, stops the procession, throws the men aside, tears the cover off, and bears down heavily on the loud pedal. Barely escapes being caught in this scene. He comes upon a Dutch band serenading in the residence section. They do not play to suit him; he interferes and is roughly handled, but gets away. They chase him to the river, the guards come up and shove the Dutchmen in the river in their vain effort and scramble to catch their charge. Our musician continues on his way and comes upon a negro playing a flute. With gesticular remonstrance he frightens the negro, who runs to one of the Venetian bridges and jumps in the river. A gondola party picks him up. After a bit more of such humorously exciting adventures, The Mad Musician is captured and taken back to the asylum for the insane.
—Moving Picture World synopsis