Life, 1919-05-15 · page 14 of 50
Life — May 15, 1919 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page satirizes crime-wave hysteria in New York through exaggerated "solutions." The text mockingly proposes absurd legal prohibitions: making safes illegal, banning pockets and bags from clothing, and outlawing nighttime sleep—all presented as serious crime-prevention measures. The opening illustration shows a social gathering where guests discuss sneaking away for cigarettes, referencing Prohibition-era alcohol smuggling culture. The Robin Hood illustration accompanies the main satire, likely contrasting romanticized outlaws with contemporary criminals. The page ridicules panicked public responses to crime by reducing them to logical absurdity. Rather than addressing root causes, the satirist shows how prohibition-based thinking—then culturally relevant given alcohol Prohibition—becomes increasingly ridiculous when applied indiscriminately to everyday objects and activities.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Hostess (to herself): 1 SuPPost THEY'D THINK ME AWFUL IF 1 OFFERED THEM A CIGARETTE. Each Guest (to herself): 1 WONDER IF 1 CAN'T SNEAK OFF SOMEWHERE AND HAVE A FEW PUFFS. Prohibit It a crime-wave in and should HY all the fuss over A crime-wave is like a rum-wave, be dealt with accordingly, That is to say, pro- hibit it the law Easiest thing in the world, Just amend For example Make it illegal to own, have, keep, possess, har- bor or maintain a safe, That will put the jovial safe-cracker right out of business Make it ur for pockets in clot nd for women to ca stitutional men to have y muffs, knitting-bags, handbags, vanity-bags, ete, etc, and presto! the journeyman pickpocket’s occupa- tion is gone Make it unconstitutional to walk out-of-doors no more “bold daylight hold-ups” then Prohibit sleeping at night—it's then that the burglar always comes around. New Abolish children York? ROBIN HOOD kidnapping will automatically die out abolish "em. out to evildoer aghfares are dangerous © seething with crime nks are a constant temptation ‘em away Abolish all parts of the human anatomy f the neck up (What are heads good for, way?), and the highwayman will have not to blackjack Surely the Anti 1. uish for want of other worlds to ¢ aloon League is not going quer. TRANGER: this man, Any Darby, in the villag VILLAGER When th’ newspaper Does any place of distinct Ye kin judge fer y'rse postman th’ to Parkin Amos is the first reader brings week down Guy grocery store, comicbooks.com