Judge — June 13, 1885 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis: "A Case for the S.P.C.A." This 1885 *Judge* cartoon satirizes a boxing champion (depicted with exaggerated facial features) accused by his wife of cruelty. The caption "The Champion Accuses His Wife of Cruelty" reverses the expected narrative: instead of the wife seeking protection, the brutish husband claims victimization. The cartoon mocks the champion's absurd defense—a sign reading "50 Men Knocked Out But No Women" and a framed testimonial claiming "I Never Was Drunk"—presenting obviously false alibis. The S.P.C.A. (Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) reference suggests the wife deserves animal-protection-level safeguards from her violent husband. The satire critiques both domestic violence and male dishonesty, using the boxing world's brutality as commentary on marital abuse.