Judge, 1886-10-16 · page 1 of 18
Judge — October 16, 1886 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This cartoon satirizes labor radicalism and property crime during the Gilded Age. The illustration shows a man being caught breaking into a storefront at night while a policeman apprehends him. In the background, a Richmond Grand Assembly tent is visible, suggesting a labor gathering. The caption's quote defends harsh punishment for criminals who destroy railroad or telegraph property, equating labor radicals with common burglars. The satire targets "Knights of Labor" ideology—a major labor organization of the era—by suggesting that labor activists who sabotage infrastructure are no better than ordinary thieves, and deserve severe legal consequences. The "napping" likely refers to authorities being caught unaware of labor radicalism's criminal activities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOI.11 NO. 261. TERED AT THE POST orgie, , £ ’ BY THE JUDGE PUBLISHING: Co. N—_—S OF: NEW YORK. OCTOBER 16, 1886. % RQ Nek. %o, ‘ “he PRICE 10 CENTS. Ar yy, W0e- 86 thief who steals a dollar is no worse than the thief who steals a railroad; that the 18 Ew AT % 16: °** 4S seconn crass MATTER, COPY” 10.0" oct sacnerr, mentum * CAUGHT NAPPING. ‘lar who breaks 0] ‘hat the came or orders the destruction of the property of a railroad or company, and wo ots ctainals according tthe thagaitene of thelr gall” Pekeriy a Oct. 4th. Loh