Life — June 14, 1883 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Benjamin the Martyr" This political cartoon depicts Benjamin (identity unclear from image alone) as a Christian martyr, shown prone on the ground while severed hands rain down from above—a grotesque visual metaphor for persecution or execution. The caption's religious language ("martyr," "Calvary") frames the subject as a victim of injustice. The inscription references an "Enchanted Greybeard" and mentions "You will crush your awful with you roll bird wrecked box," though this OCR text appears corrupted and unclear. Without additional context about which Benjamin or which historical moment this references, the cartoon's specific political target remains uncertain. The imagery suggests depicting someone as unjustly victimized or condemned, likely commentary on a controversial legal case or political persecution from Life magazine's era.