Judge — September 1, 1894 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This Judge magazine comic strip depicts a revenge narrative titled "He Laughs Best Who Laughs Last." The story follows Deacon Stetson (a character whose name suggests moral pretense) through a sequence of misadventures involving what appears to be fruit-stealing or similar petty transgression. The progression shows: initial temptation, police discovery, confrontation, an accident (possibly involving water), an act of revenge against his antagonist, setting a trap, and finally Stetson's own comeuppance—apparently being struck or knocked down. The strip appears to be a morality tale common to satirical magazines of the era, mocking hypocrisy (the "deacon" aspect) and illustrating the consequences of scheming. The final panel suggests ironic justice—Stetson's elaborate revenge plot backfires on him, providing the satirical "last laugh" referenced in the title.