Plot

The sudden fortune won from a lottery fans such destructive greed that it ruins the lives of the three people involved.

John McTeague was a slow, simple man who became a dentist after working at the Big Dipper Gold Mine. He is now being hunted in Death Valley by his ex-best friend Marcus and the law, His lot was cast the day that he meet his future wife Trina in his office. She was with Marcus and she bought a lottery ticket. Mac fell for her and Marcus stepped aside. When Mac and Trina married, she won the Lottery for $5000 and became obsessive about the money in gold. Marcus is steamed as he stepped aside; now sh is rich, so he has the law shut down Mac as he has no official schooling for his dentistry. Trina fearful that they will take her gold away sells everything and takes all Mac earns when he is working. She adds to her stash of gold as they both live as paupers. When Mac has no job and no money, he leaves and Trina moves. Driven to desperation at being poor and hungry he finds Trina and demands the gold.—Tony Fontana <tony.fontana@spacebbs.com>

John McTeague has worked at many different jobs in his life. After working as an assistant for a traveling dentist, he's now set up his dental office. There he is introduced to Trina by his friend Marcus. McTeague and Trina hit it off and eventually marry. Their wedding day is a memorable one as Trina wins $5000 in the lottery, an act that will change their lives forever. Terrified that she will lose her windfall, Trina becomes miserly, refusing to even one cent of the money she has won. Soon, she and McTeague are living in abject poverty, with Trina's small fortune safely tucked away. McTeague takes charge of the situation, leading to tragedy for everyone concerned.—garykmcd

Miner-turned-dentist McTeague wins young Trina Sieppe away from her cousin Marcus, McTeague's friend. When Trina wins $5000 in a lottery, Marcus accuses McTeague of marrying her for her money. Trina becomes more and more obsessed with money, refusing to spend any of her winnings even though she and her husband are forced into dire straits. When Marcus informs the authorities that McTeague is not licensed as a dentist, thus depriving him of his meager living, the friendship and the marriage are destroyed. At last murder intrudes, leaving no one unscathed.—Jim Beaver <jumblejim@prodigy.net>

McTeague, a San Francisco dentist, marries Trina, a thrifty woman who has won $5,000 in a lottery. She banks this money and, by scrimping and saving, hoards most of the money her husband makes. Marcus Schouler, Trina's frustrated former suitor, discovers that McTeague does not have a license to practice dentistry and causes him to lose his business. McTeague can make only a poor living as a laborer, and he and Trina eventually drift to squalid quarters. Trina hoards money compulsively, and McTeague, crazed with the knowledge of the money, kills her and escapes with the gold, fleeing into Death Valley. Marcus goes after him, and the men fight. McTeague kills Marcus but finds himself handcuffed to the dead man. Unable to find the key to free himself, McTeague dies of thirst.