Judge, 1901-10-26 · page 1 of 16
Judge — October 26, 1901 — page 1: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This Judge cartoon satirizes the efficiency of Auburn Prison's telephone system in 1901. The image shows a prison warden frantically calling Auburn Prison's central switchboard, desperate to reach the prison quickly—apparently to stop an execution or prevent some urgent prison matter ("the 'stiff'"). The joke plays on the irony that even in a life-or-death emergency requiring immediate communication, the prison operator is frustratingly slow or unavailable. The calendar visible suggests timing pressure. The satire mocks bureaucratic inefficiency and outdated communication systems that fail precisely when speed is critical—a commentary on early 20th-century institutional dysfunction masquerading as modern infrastructure.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
VOL. 41 NO.1LO4#5 OCTOBER 26 1901. PRICE 10 CENTS Ewrente ar rae Poet Ormice AT Mew Yous on Secomp Case Marten Copvmient 1901 ey June Commuer, Tince Reoavents a8 4 Tease Mann Sackett Midselma titho & Pig Co New York ‘TH Devit— Hello!— Hello, there!— Hello, is this Central? Well, give me Auburn Prison?” “Hello! is this Auburn prison?—— _Is this the Warden?” “How do you do, Warden? Say, Warden, will you please hurry up that little job you have on hand for the ‘28th?’ I've got a special pt ment ready and Y'm getting anxious to tse it on him.” “All right ; thank you!” comicbooks.com