Judge — May 12, 1883 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# The Judge, May 12, 1883 This political cartoon satirizes **Odonovan Rossa** (labeled on his clothing), an Irish-American Fenian activist and publisher. The central figure sits surrounded by collection boxes for various relief funds: "Skirmishing Fund," "Land Fund," and "Odonovan Rossa Relief Fund." A man behind him holds a paddle, referencing the nursery rhyme caption: "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall—Humpty Dumpty had a great fall." The cartoon suggests Rossa has suffered financial or political collapse and now solicits money from supporters through multiple charitable appeals. The satire mocks Rossa's fundraising practices, implying he repeatedly collects donations from Irish-Americans for various causes, treating them as a means of personal sustenance after his prominence has faded.