Life, 1916-11-30 · page 11 of 42
Life — November 30, 1916 — page 11: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
The cartoon depicts a courtroom scene where a witness testifies about stolen horses. When the judge asks if the prisoner is the thief, the witness admits: "I was, your honor. Till that lawyer cross-examined me. He's made me feel I stole it myself." **The joke:** This satirizes lawyers' courtroom tactics—their skill at aggressive cross-examination is so effective (or manipulative) that it confuses witnesses into doubting their own testimony and guilt/innocence. The humor turns on the absurdity that a clever attorney can make an honest witness feel criminally responsible through rhetorical pressure alone, regardless of actual facts. The accompanying text discusses unrelated social issues: changing school curricula, women's fashion modesty, American servant wages, and wartime supply costs.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Judge: ARE YOU POSITIVE THE PRISONER IS THE MAN WHO STOLE THE HORSE? Witness: 1 WAs, YOUR HONOR, TILL THAT LAWYER CROSS-EXAMINED ME. I STOLE IT MYSELF. Things You Shrink from nowing 'HAT there is a tendency upon the part of some state boards of edu- cation to allow the changing of the school books of the state every year or two for the gain of the publisher. Style in dress, among American women, which used to be so exquisite, is now only a conglomeration of of- fenses against form, line, color and appropriateness. The government has not enough control over the paper output in the United States to relieve the present serious famine. The sacred function of motherhood is dreaded and not desired by an in- creasing number of women among us. American servants are the highest paid and most unreliable in the world. So many of our girls are apparently without any idea of modesty in dress, whether in the street or the ballroom. Children by scores are maimed and killed in the streets of New York for want of accessible playgrounds, While gunpowder costs 30 cents a pound to make, the Allies are paying us $1.25 for it. He's MADE ME FEEL Because our government does not declare war on Germany the Allies consider us cowards. Scotticism 'HE place is one of our most ex- pensive and therefore popular res- taurants. . “Excuse me, sir, but don’t you think it out of the question that you should occupy the principal table in this café and order only one bottle of ginger ale?” : McTavisn: Who are you that’s speakin’ to me like that? . “The manager.” McTavisn: The verra man I wanted to see. What for’s the band no’ playin’? comicbooks:com