Judge — June 4, 1892 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a political cartoon illustrating the proverb "locking the stable door after the horse has bolted"—meaning taking precautions too late. The image shows a skeleton (representing Death or a grim figure) pointing toward Chicago on a signpost, having already departed on horseback. In the foreground, a farmer-like character locks a stable door, but the horse is already gone. Farm animals (chickens, roosters) remain nearby. The cartoon satirizes some policy response as futile or belated. Without the complete caption and date, the specific political reference is unclear—likely criticizing Chicago-related problems (disease outbreak, crime, or industrial disaster) where preventative measures came after damage was done. The skeleton suggests the issue involved significant loss of life.