Judge — February 4, 1893 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "The Gang Try a Grand Bluff" This cartoon from Judge (February 1893) depicts what appears to be a confidence game or card trick. Three men stand behind a table displaying various fan-shaped cards labeled with words like "BROKEN," "STOCK," and "PUBLIC CONFIDENCE." A fourth man sits opposite them, seemingly suspicious. The caption—"But the old man is 'loaded' this time"—suggests the seated figure has anticipated their scheme. This likely satirizes financial manipulation or political deception common during the 1890s panic period, where groups attempted to manipulate public sentiment or market confidence through false claims. The "gang" appears to represent speculators or politicians attempting fraud, while the seated man represents someone (possibly the public or government) who has caught on to their tricks.