Life, 1895-04-18 · page 3 of 18
Life — April 18, 1895 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# "Our Reversible Life" This page from *Life* magazine features a satirical piece about a man facing legal consequences. The cartoon shows three fashionably dressed women in conversation, with dialogue indicating one has received multiple marriage proposals. The accompanying story "Our Reversible Life" discusses a man pronounced dead who later reappears alive, creating legal confusion. The narrative explores whether he can be prosecuted for crimes committed while presumed dead—a paradoxical legal situation. The officer argues the man is now "marked" by this experience, suggesting permanent social stigma regardless of legal technicalities. The satire appears to mock both the absurdities of legal systems and society's harsh judgment of those who escape prosecution through circumstance rather than innocence. The "reversible life" title suggests life's unpredictable reversals and their consequences.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
NUMBER 642. On the Bamboo: “Mercy ME! wie; Goon ones ALL FROM GEORGE.” I'VE HAD FULLY A DOZEN OFFERS OF MARRIAGE LATELY. OUR REVERSIBLE LIFE. This version MA SY languages have sayings in regard to the matter, of one of them is not commonly known. A bad man was hanged until his neck was broken and he was pro- nounced dead. When he was taken from the scaffold he was not well guarded, and as he found that he could walk, he went away. He went back quietly to his hotel, He saw that he was conspicuous because of his broken neck, but it surprised him to be touched on the arm by an officer who had come to recapture him. “This is not just,” he said. ‘1 have paid my penalty. I have been hanged. I have been hanged as long as you cared to have me hang. Ihave done nothing wrong since then. I feel no inclination to do wrong. Why do you trouble me?” “ But,” the officer said, “here you are; you walk about when the law demands you to be dead.” “But,” said the man, ‘+1 have my broken neck to prove that Lam dead, as far as the past is concerned, and that is all the law can claim of me. The fact that lam here and walk about is simply my good luck—an accident. It does not concern the law. Besides all this, what is the law intended for but to protect the good ? Iam good now. All my evil inclinations were satisfied in that last crime, I havea thousand plans for doing good, and I have means. It would be simple murder to hang such a man as I am now.” The officer pondered a while. ‘If your neck could only be straight- ened,” he said, ‘the thing might be passed over and forgotten. But as it is every one who sees you knows you have escaped the law.” “On the contrary," the man said, ‘it shows that I have not escaped the law. It shows that I have paid my penalty where others have escaped.” “But it makes you a marked man,” the officer insisted. should ever do the slightest thing it would be known.” “I should be known for all my goodness then,” the man replied. “ You know the saying, ‘when the devil grows old he turns hermit," Some officers who had come in to reinforce the officer who stood beside him nudged one another. They agreed, ‘we have often noticed it.” Marguerite Tracy. “If you comicbooks.com