Judge, 1904-05-21 · page 3 of 16
Judge — May 21, 1904 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This comic series satirizes a common con-artist scheme of the era: an imposter claiming to be a long-lost relative from abroad (here, "Bombay") to extract money or favors from gullible victims. The protagonist "Nervy Nat" poses as someone's brother returning from India. Through six panels, we see him progressively manipulating his "sister," requesting increasingly audacious favors (funds, introductions, library access) while exhibiting crude behavior and poor manners that should expose the deception. The satire targets both the con man's brazen audacity and the victims' naive willingness to believe implausible stories about distant relatives. The title's emphasis on "Nervy" highlights the scheme's boldness—the sheer nerve required to carry off such an obvious fraud.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
1 - 2 Nervy Nat—'* What hol a letter from Bombay? ‘Dear brother, Nervy Nat—" M i . —"" My soul revolts against this premeditated deception, erect ae this sroning:. Pave. just arrived in America. Just think! it but | need a couple of dozen meals. My earnest prayer is that T iook is ven y tr fore? He ee le . Love to the wife. Aff., Josiah. something like ‘Josiah.’ I don’t, unless Josiah has a cameo profile and And here’s the address. | w' lesiah. a certain distinction of bearing—that’s sure.” 3. 4 Nervy Nat—“ Dear sister, this is indeed a pleasure! Just got in from ‘Dear sister's" Hussano—" Well, Mary, here's Josiah. Met him Bombay. The train was late—I mean, the steamer. I hope my brother ‘ at the station, What's tNe matter, dear ?"" won't hurry home on my account, I haven't but a few moments to stay, Dear sister—* Why, there's been some mistake, John—an awful my dear. Off to Bombay again, you know.” mistake! 1—!—thought—I mean, there's another Josiah in the library— Dear sister—"' You mustn't say that, Josiah. Go into the library and he k-k-kissed me!” and I'll have some luncheon brought to you right away. | know you “Dear sister's” museano | wraty must be hungry.”* Jostan : SORA StsTeR's” MusEAND | Well, of all the immaculate gall!” Nerv Nat—"'Now, gentlemen both, above all things, don’t get ex- cited—mistakes will happen. If you'll give me five minutes’ start I'll Promise you as fine an exhibition of sprinting as was ever witnessed in the Nervy Nat—" These gentlemen were no sports. But what can one field-sports of any college amongat the ‘big four.” expect in the suburbs? Provinelallsm—that's the answer.” NO. 25.-NERVY NAT AS THE BROTHER FROM BOMBAY. comicbooks.com