Life — July 3, 1913 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The Martyrs" Cartoon Analysis This political cartoon depicts what appears to be victims of police brutality or investigative misconduct in Philadelphia. The accompanying article "Incredible" criticizes a "Court of cruelties secretly practiced by 'investigators'" and describes brutal tactics including devices for breaking dogs' backs—used as torture apparatus on innocent people. The cartoon's dark imagery shows suffering victims, emphasizing the article's core argument: that law enforcement used extreme, sadistic methods against suspects. The text quotes a magistrate defending such practices as necessary, while the author counters that civilized people should find such cruelty abhorrent. This reflects early 20th-century *Life* magazine's muckraking tradition, exposing police corruption and abuse in American cities.