Judge, 1937-06 · page 9 of 37
Judge — June 1937 — page 9: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page is **not political satire**—it's a mystery story told through sequential illustrations, similar to a comic strip or illustrated pulp fiction. The narrative (June 1937) follows a murder investigation centered on character "Peter," whose sinister face appears in a window. Key plot points depicted include: a stolen pearl, servants discovering Peter's body in a barn, a stableboy named Tomkins finding Peter's body in his master's room, and police arriving to declare it murder. Inspector White notes something "rotten" at the crime scene. The illustrations are noir-style silhouettes typical of 1930s mystery entertainment. This appears to be serialized fiction rather than editorial commentary—a "WHO DONE IT?" concluding on page 30, as noted at bottom.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
A sinister face stares in from the window. It belongs to Joe “Butch” Stevens, who has learned from a Winchell flash that he is Peter's long lost brother, and heir to the Stevens fortunes. He is about to go away when he sees There they are seen by Silus, the butler, who has returned for a lost suspender button. (This is not a clue. He needs it to bold his pants up.) Suddenly a figure dressed in Peter's clothes sweeps into the barn, and before Tomkins can say whoa, jumes upon Nellie Girl's back and rides rapidly away. Tomkins looks at the time, courtesy Pullover ‘Watch Company. It is exactly five p.m. At seven forty, a shrill piercing cry is heard throughout the mansion. The servants discover Peter beaten to death as if by some hear unt instrument. He lies with a lucky horseshoe in his hand. Tomkins is gone; so are the blankets. June 1937 Beatrice Fairchild, ex-gun moll, but now a maid, steal a pearl from her master’s garter. The radio breaks out with the “Star Spangled Banner" so she stands at attention and salutes. Meanwhile, the hot on and chicken are getting cold. Butch and Beatrice then sit and plot. The stableboy, Tomkins, loves horses, especially Nellie, a ma- tronly sort of mare who has been mothering a brood of chicks ever since their patents were killed in an automobile accrdent. The stable, of course, smells like a stable, and so does Tomkins. An hour later, Tomkins, worried about the horse, seeks the but- ler's aid. Silus tells him that Peter is not out, but in, though “out.” Puzzled, Tomkins enters his master’s room, finds the wine cupboard, pulls the blankets off his master and sleeps on the floor. The police enter the case and declare it murder. Inspector White says, “I smell something rotten.” Silus McTavish says, “It must be Tomkins, the stableboy.” Inspector White says, “There is more here than meets the nose.” WHO DONE IT? (See page 30) comicbooks.com