Judge — October 26, 1901 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "In a Devil of a Hurry" 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 The satire mocks bureaucratic inefficiency and outdated communication systems that fail precisely when speed is critical—a commentary on early 20th-century institutional dysfunction masquerading as modern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.