Judge, 1902-11-22 · page 6 of 16
Judge — November 22, 1902 — page 6: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains three distinct satirical pieces: **"It Saved Him"** uses racial dialect humor (common in early 20th-century American media) to mock both religious hypocrisy and African American speech patterns. A deacon describes nearly stealing from "Mistah Johnsing's turkey-coop" but claims divine intervention—a conveniently timed possum and the gun-wielding owner—saved him. The satire targets the deacon's self-serving interpretation of providence. **"A Question"** ridicules the emerging "horseless carriage" (automobile) trend and Chicago's rising divorce rate by sarcastically asking if women will now pursue "divorceless marriages" with the same enthusiasm. **"How It Happened"** is a dark joke about police brutality: an officer claims he beat a man "severely" because the victim "kept perfectly still" and didn't dodge his blows—satirizing either police incompetence or the absurdity of the justice system. The cartoons reflect period attitudes: casual racism, anxiety about modern technology and changing social mores, and cynicism about law enforcement.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
IT SAVED HIM. REDREN,” said Deacon Snowball at the experience meeting, “I cum moughty neah backslidin’ las’ Saterday night. De temptah cum ter me an’ put er wheat-sack in mah han’ an’ led mah sinful feet to'd Mistah Johnsing’s tuhkey-coop.” “ Amen {” moaned some one in a back seat. “Tdone tried mah bes’ ter resist,” went on the deacon, «but all de time mah conscience said *Stop’ de temptah said ‘Go on; an’ so I kep’ a- gittin’ closah an’ a-gittin’ closah all de time.” Slory !" came from the back seats. “But, praise de Lawd ! jes’ wen I's gwine ter climb de fence an’ maik fo’ de coop mah ole houn'-dawg trees er ‘possum in Mistah Johnsing’s wood-lot, an’ de backslide leabe me dat minnit.” “ Amen!” roared a brother in the rear. RSSUECESTION: “ An’ ‘fore I git up dat tree,” continued the Wire—" I've talked to you till I'm worn out.” deacon, “de moon cum out {um behin' de clouds, Huseanp—"* Why not shut up for repairs?” an’ dar stood Mistah Johnsing behin’ dat coop, wif er shot-gun in his han’. “ An’ I call ter Mistah Johnsing an’ ast him, * Please, sah, won't he “Um-m-m! Lawd !" from the elders’ corner. cum an’ shoot dat ‘possum?’ an’ dat he do; an’ I want ter say dat dere wuz er mos’ pow'ful big load Ue laptyeas Wien ob shot in dat gun.” Espasa av am “Go on, bruddah !" fr : “ An’ dat’s why I say dat \ 4 wren de temptah cum ter us an’ show us whar dere’s er tuhkey-coop we oughter rej'ice a Po, dat providence done gib er |i 5 houn'-dawg an’ er ‘possum ap- pertite to de po'r brack man.” A QUESTION. RAY tell us, fair Chicago maids Who ride in horseless car- riages, Will you extend the latest craze And make divorceless mar- riages? CAPABLE OF DOING IT. Goldbrick—“ Your daugh- ter has consented to become ~ ; my bride, and I have laid my Sees fortune at her feet.” THE VILLAGE THERMOMETER. Shen dsa st" Ohe well Mrs. Prasty—'' Oh, dear! I jes’ don't know what we'd do if Uncle Joel's rheumatiz should be the death o' him, ‘hat will give her an excellent (Sighing deeply.) We'd never know when it was goin’ to rain.” chance to run through it. HOW IT HAPPENED. sJupce—" How did you come to club this man so severely?” Orricer—" Well, yer honor, he kept parfictly shtill an’ wudn'tlodge a single crack Ol made at him." comicbooks.com