Judge — December 13, 1902 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This two-panel cartoon titled "Burglar Ben" depicts a Black character stealing from a chicken coop at night. The humor relies on racist caricature and dialect: Ben claims he's "obliged to de gentleman" and will "carry de hull bizness home" to open later—a play on the phrase "opening a can of worms." The joke appears to be a crude pun connecting chicken-stealing (a stereotype applied to Black Americans) with the phrase "Queen's taste," suggesting that even chicken theft could be presented as refined behavior. The cartoon uses exaggerated physical caricature and broken dialect typical of early-20th-century American racist humor in Judge magazine. It reflects period attitudes depicting Black people as criminals and buffoons for entertainment.