Judge, 1897-06-12 · page 4 of 18
Judge — June 12, 1897 — page 4: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Judge Magazine Page Analysis This page contains racist caricatures typical of early 20th-century American humor magazines. The main cartoon, "A Near-Sighted Old Coon," depicts an African American man (Uncle Slewfoot) accused of attempting to steal chickens. The joke relies on offensive stereotypes: he uses exaggerated dialect, claims innocence while evidence (shot in his back from the colonel's gun) contradicts him, and the "humor" derives from portraying him as dim-witted and untrustworthy. The satire targets African Americans rather than punching up at power. The justice of the peace is portrayed as reasonable, while the defendant is shown as inherently dishonest—a common racist trope suggesting Black people were naturally criminal or unreliable. The page also includes "Judge's Favorites" (a photo feature) and unrelated brief jokes like "Acceptance," making this a typical magazine layout mixing racist comedy with other content, all presented as entertainment for white audiences of the era.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
uape HIS WAY. Justice of the peace (sternly) — “ Look here, Uncle Slewfoot! You are charged with attempting to break into Colonel Bludsoe’s hen-house last night, to steal his fancy game-fowls. What have you to say for yourself?” Uncle Slewfoot (in- nocently) —* Who — me, sah?” Justice of the peace —" Yes, you!" Uncle Slew foot— “Hoh, boss! It must a- be'n some uddah triflin’ niggah. Couldn’ a-be'n me, sah, no way yo" kin fix it; burkaze I done stay to home all de libin’ night long, sleepin’ de sleep ob innycence, sah. It do beat all, de way 1 sleeps w’en I gits stabted, sah! ‘Clah to goodness, de thundahs kin er-roll an’ de lightnin’ kin flash, an’ I'm gwine to dess sleep right on; dat’s mah way, sah. Couldn’ a-be'n me dat de cuhnel s‘picioned— no, sah! Niggahs most ginerly looks all alike to de white gemmen—ki-yi!” Justice of the peace — Probably they do in the middle of a dark night, and you may have been walking in your sleep, for all I know; but if you are innocent how do you account for the fact that, when the colonel heard a noise and discovered a form trying to pry the padlock off his hen-house door, he fired a load of shot at it, and this morning, when he went around to your house with the constable, they found your wife picking shot out of your back 2” Uncle Stewfoot — “Pickin’ shot out'n whose back did yo" say, sah?" Justice of the peace —" Yours.” Photo. by Halt, JUDGE'S FAVORITES, LEOLA MITCHELL, (The tivit Oh, look ! it opens and Save ora ma ?vand lug! Moves its arms and legs, and sing Is it stuffed with sawdust, and worked with springs? Such a jolly dolly T never did see! Papa, won't you buy it for me? OLD Lapy—"* You poor, ragged, tatte come from ?" , —(as he throws it over his head) it am a big Uncle Slewfoot — ike a minnow — un, sho’ as yo’s born !— “Uh-huh | Out'n mah back, sah?” Goliath ! it am a- — Golly! 1 wonder tor over my haid all dis (as he throws it over his head again) whale !—— A NEAR-SIGHTED OLD COON. Justice of the peace — Yes ; how do you THE LATEST, red creature! Where did you Trasp— ‘*I fell out of de air-ship dat passed over here last night.” account for it?” Uncle Slewf If dat am all de proof dey done got agin me, sah, all yo’ got to do is to tuhn me loose right now. Dem dar shot in mah back ?” Justice of the peace —" Yes, the shot in your back.” Uncle Slewfoot — “Wry — teehee — sah, dat’s dess a way I've go I allus wear mo’ er less ob ‘em dar, sah!" Tout F. MOKGAN, ACCEPTANCE, ++] T depends on you.dear, What my life will be."” “Well, then, George,” she answered, “Spell it with a we.” ref I's been flingin’ dat 'ga- is time I” comicbooks.com