Judge, 1896-10-17 · page 3 of 16
Judge — October 17, 1896 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "The Reward of Duplicity" - Judge Magazine, Page 243 This page contains two distinct pieces: **Top section:** A cartoon captioned "The New Excuse" shows two figures discussing whether "Bridget" will appear—apparently satirizing domestic help reliability in the era. **Main story:** "The Reward of Duplicity" concerns a character named Eber Johnsing who attempts financial deception. The narrative—written in heavy dialect—depicts Johnsing trying to convince a parson he's owed money through religious manipulation and false claims. The text emphasizes the comeuppance he receives when his duplicity is exposed. **Lower cartoons:** A three-panel sequence shows someone repeatedly falling off a bicycle into thorny vegetation, the visual joke being the ironic "reward" for dishonesty paralleling the narrative above. The overall theme satirizes moral hypocrisy and fraudulent behavior, suggesting deception inevitably results in humiliation or failure.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Mr. Uptowne Fiatte: THE NEW EXCUS * Where is Bridget this evening ?” Mrs. Uprowne FLatte—" This evening? Why, her cycle club meets to-night.” seBF BRER JOHNSING will jes’ come fowahd at de close ob dis git back de fi'-dollah bill w’at he done lose dar in sahvice he ki de bestry dis mawnin’ At the close of the service five “ Brer Johnsings” came forward for the five-dollar bill. This was more than Parson Wraggles had expected. He rose to his feet. A look of astonishment followed by one of severity, came over his face. “ Stan’ in line, yo" brack-faced hyp’crites,”’ he thundered. They stood in line. “ Now jes’ look hyab,” said he severely; “‘yo' cain't ‘ceive me. I's too ole fer dat. Dis fi'-dollah bill w'at I done placed hyah in de bible doan b’long to yo’ all, I know. Some one ob yer mus’ be lyin’. See? Lemuel Harrising Johnsing, I, Pah- son Wraggles, solem’ly arsk yo’ am dis yo’ bill w'at I done placed hyah in de bible dis mawnin’?” “Yes, sah.” “Shore ?” “Sho’.” Lemuel Harrising Johnsing, doan yo’ try to ‘ceive me; yo" cain't dot, sah; yo’ warn’ in de bestry dar ‘t all dis mawnin’. Yo’ jes’ set down dar Yo" hyah me? “Now, Gawge Washin'ton Jobnsing, yo" jes’ tell me de trut’. Am dis ‘fo’ I done make a ‘sample ob yo’ now. yo’ bill, sah?” Scorcuer—"* If I keep on at this rate I'll beat all records into town. ( Wairr.)— THE REWARD OF DUPLICITY. “Pahson Wraggles, I carn’ tell yo’ no lie, Dat ar bill am mine. I done lose it myse’f dar in de bestry dis mawnin’, jes’ wen I done say de Lawd's prayeh.” “Tse de bill am one fer f’-dollahs’ wuth of wood dat am not paid fob,” said the parson, looking at the piece of paper. “E | fee oep Dill yo’s | SEEPRRER -No,sah; Inebber lose no bill” “ Mass’ Israel Johnsing, am it yo's?” * neezah Johnsing, am de ; I—I done got mine agin. ‘ Mass’ Abe Johnsing, am it yo’s den?” “No, pahson; no, sah. I neb ber had no f' dollahs in my life, sal “Shore?” ho’. * Den, Brer Gawge Washin'ton Johnsing. sence you have proved de Dill am yo's fer shore, hyah it am,” * Pabson, dat’s not my bill, dat’s not my bill; I done fergit. Shore's preachin’, sah, I hain’t been in de bestry dar fer de las’ tree weeks, I know.” “Gawge Washin'ton Johnsing, de bill am yo's. I carn’ stan’ dese prewarikashuns. Yo' done come hyah to ‘sgrace yo’ ministeh, w'en he des tole yo" ‘bout yo" sins dis mawnin’? No, sah; yo" jes’ take de bill an’ pay it soon ‘s yo’ can, sah; an’ doan yo’ try no mo’ ter ‘ceive me; kase yo" cain’t do't, none ob yer, no mo’.”” Nicut-watcu —"* I call yer wid clubs. What yer got?” BurcLar —“* Mine is all diamonds, tray high.” W. A, ROBERTION, —(Biffl) Great Scott! I-forgot we had a frost ©——But you bet it'll be a frosty day when I last night, that shook down all those burrs. — scorch under another chestnut-tree.” comicbooks.com