Judge, 1930-09-27 · page 13 of 36
Judge — September 27, 1930 — page 13: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Rip Van Winkle: If the Episode Had Happened Today" This cartoon satirizes Prohibition-era crime and corruption. It reimagines Washington Irving's *Rip Van Winkle* as a modern disappearance, treating his innocent mountain retreat as a gangster kidnapping ("taken for a ride"). The satire mocks how authorities automatically suspect organized crime: references to "Fingers" Glass (a notorious bootlegger) and gang warfare reflect actual Prohibition violence. Mrs. Van Winkle's story—her husband vanishing near illegal speakeasies—suggests even innocent behavior gets misinterpreted during Prohibition. The second cartoon mocks sensationalist yellow journalism. Newspaper editors and writers are depicted violently editing copy that calls for harm to prominent figures (Mayor Walker, President Hoover, Justice Taft, Commander Byrd, Alice Longworth). The joke: this hyperbolic, inflammatory rhetoric represents actual newspaper language of the period, exposing how casually violent and irresponsible press language had become.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Van Winkle If the episode had happened today Te authorities of Ulster County, New York, in which the Catskill Mountains are lo- ted, were in with New York City police today concerning the Rip Van interested in conference reported disappearance of Winkle, alleged to be roadhouses and speakeasies in’ the vicinity for a number of vears, It is feared. his mysterious disappearance torebodes the resumption of gang war- Mrs. Van Winkle told police her husband left home the September 25th, carryi has not been seen since. afternoon of. iugalow of “Fingers” Glass, notori- cketeer, was raided, but “Fin- JUDGE reported on the high seas, in a Broad- way night club, in Canada and points ; south and west. Al Baloney was also sought for questioning. Rip's haunts in the Catskills are being searched, though it is not con- sidered likely that he was taken fora ride. According to the police, he “Sear- has been in the habit of going off into the mountains to an alleged bowling never heard of alley, where they iniature golf. They according to Mrs. n Winkle, flagons of a potent liquid concoction. The Federal authorities will doubtless be interested in this phase of the case. Neighbors stated they thought Van serve, Pay-day at Prohibition Headquarters, WW Winkle was probably up in the hills, sleeping off the effects of one of his regularbouts. ‘The investigators stated : “We'll solve this myste if it takes twenty years.” ey re right. English As She Is Spoke Beyond the dim glass of the heavily panelled door, figures. moved about, talk and yesticulating “Shoot Jimmy Walker,” shouted a voice. “Bury Hoover,” the raucous voice continued, “and Kill Justice Taft.” “Wait.” another bellowed, “Boil down Commander Byrd to. the bone, Cut Longworth in half, do the same to Alice nd put twenty sticks of dynamite instead of five in that ex plosion.”” With a sigh of relief the City Edi- tor drew out his watch. “Guess we'll make the first edition,” he muttered, as the photographer returned with a photo of Mayor Walker. and the type writers took on added speed. voice comicbooks.com