Judge — May 31, 1919 — page 12: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Vanished or Miscalriage of Justice" by Our Dog Charlie This multi-panel comic satirizes a pie-theft case. A domestic servant appears accused of stealing a pie. The narrative follows a bumbling "Officer" and what seems to be a magistrate or judge figure attempting to investigate and prosecute. The satire targets institutional incompetence: the officer repeatedly bundles the case, losing evidence (the pie itself), arresting the wrong person, and creating chaos. The accused maintains innocence while the officer's reputation suffers from his incompetence. A judge eventually appears to oversee the farce. The title "Miscalriage of Justice" signals the comic's point—the legal system fails through sheer bureaucratic ineptitude rather than corruption. The humor derives from slapstick mismanagement of a trivial matter (a pie) being treated with mock-serious judicial formality. The final caption promises "Charlie" will umpire baseball next week, suggesting this is part of a recurring satirical series about everyday institutional failure.