Judge — April 4, 1885 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a satirical cartoon titled "O! HEIGH! O!" with the subtitle "Empty Is the cradle, Boodle's gone." The image shows a figure labeled "THE JUDGE" examining what appears to be an empty cradle or container marked with "BOODLE" (a period term for illicit money or corruption). The surrounding architectural elements and documents suggest a courthouse or government setting. The satire targets political corruption: the "empty cradle" suggests that corruption/boodle has disappeared—either actually removed or ironically, that the source of corrupt funds has dried up. The figure of "The Judge" represents judicial oversight or accountability attempting to address governmental graft and bribery, which were common political scandals of the Gilded Age era when *Judge* magazine published such commentary.