Judge, 1902-03-29 · page 7 of 16
Judge — March 29, 1902 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page mocks inexperienced newspaper reporters who sensationalize crime stories. The main cartoon depicts a naive "new reporter" interrogating a police captain, asking leading questions designed to elicit dramatic details—wild chases, fierce resistance, gleaming eyes—typical of lurid crime reporting. The captain flatly contradicts each assumption: the burglars were amateurs, left obvious clues, surrendered meekly, and showed no theatrical villainy. The joke satirizes yellow journalism—reporters' tendency to invent or exaggerate narratives rather than report facts. The reporter is exposed as expecting criminals to perform like storybook villains, revealing how sensational newspapers distort reality for entertainment. Secondary cartoons mock other urban characters: a pawnbroker displaying a fake coat-of-arms, and a man harassed by hungry cats—lighter humor disconnected from the main satire.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE NEW REPORTER. THE new reporter takes his bright-red_note-book from his pocket and interrogates the police- captain. Cot ree "1 presume that the burglars you have just cap- (cg Rye maTiats tured are thought to be the men who have commit- ted so many robberies in the city during the past year 2" he begins. Oh, no,” says the captain. “They are plainly new hands at the business.” “Well,” says the new reporter, "but have they not covered their trails with a shrewdness that has baffled our keenest sleuths >" “No,” answers the captain again. “They left clews enough to stumble over everywhere they went.” “But did they not scowl fiercely when brought to bay and threaten to kill the first man who ap- proached them 2" “Not much. They wilted and gave in like children.” “Can that be? And did not their eyes gleam with an anger that boded ill for their captors were they given the slightest chance for resistance “I should say not. They walked to the station as if they were on the way home.” “THE HALL OF FAME." « Did they not snarl ferociously when relieved of their booty ?” HIS NEW FLEUR-DE-PAWN SIGN. Isaacs—"I don't know whether de peebles will t'ink dis is mein family crest or not, but | can tolt you, shentlemens, dot sign is fine for mein bizness.”” “ Not any snarls—no, sir.” “Is it possible? Yet surely they refused to take the tents of the child's savings-bank in the house they last visited ?” “That was the first thi “ Then, sir "—here the new reporter draws himself up to his full journalistic height—« then, sir, perhaps you will have the goodness to tell me how [am to write this thing up in the ap- proved style.” But the captain merely excuses himself, saying he wishes to resume his game of pinochle. Ww. waserr, Manta Losster—"* | told you not to crack clams with your teeth—or you'd get toothache in your pinchers.”* 2 THE CHUMP AND THE CATS. —Don' bys wh + [ think I'll have some fun with these cats.— —Here, kitty, kitty!" ar ee i aly the tabbys when comicbooks.com