Judge — November 26, 1881 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Judge" Cartoon, November 28, 1881 This satirical cartoon depicts police officers harassing a well-dressed man labeled "JAW BONE" (visible on his clothing). The caption reads "THE PENALTY OF RICHES: THE MILLIONAIRES BEST FRIEND—THE POLICE." The satire inverts expectations: instead of police protecting the wealthy, they're shown aggressively confronting a rich man with clubs and intimidation. This likely critiques the contradictory relationship between law enforcement and wealthy individuals in the Gilded Age—while the rich supposedly benefited from police protection of property rights, they were simultaneously targets of extortion and harassment by corrupt officers seeking bribes. The cartoon suggests that even wealth couldn't shield the affluent from police abuse during this period of widespread urban corruption in New York City.