Life — November 17, 1910 — page 11: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Speakin' of Robbers" This satirical piece critiques crime in early 20th-century New York, specifically Manhattan. The main cartoon shows a portly man being robbed by street criminals while onlookers watch. The accompanying poem mocks the casual acceptance of theft in the city—the narrator describes being robbed at a saloon called the "Wisteria," having his wallet cleaned out by thieves and his watch stolen. The satire targets urban lawlessness and the prevalence of street robbery in Manhattan, portraying it as so commonplace that respectable citizens expect to be victimized. The side comic strip about two men meeting in "Hell" extends the joke: crime is so rampant that criminals and their victims will inevitably encounter each other in the afterlife.