Life, 1925-11-05 · page 14 of 50
Life — November 5, 1925 — page 14: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains a satirical sketch titled "The District Attorney at Home" depicting a lawyer cross-examining his wife about her whereabouts, unable to abandon his courtroom demeanor even at home. The humor derives from the character's obsessive professional habits making him suspicious and interrogative with his spouse. The page also includes two "WANTED" notices satirizing minor infractions: Arthur Rincin for "Showing-Off" (fancy dancing in 1925) and George H. Ashby for "Foot-Poking" (disrupting a theater performance). These mock the overwrought language of actual wanted posters applied to trivial social misbehavior, typical of Life's satirical approach to everyday urban life and social etiquette of the 1920s.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
THE SKY LINE OF NEW YORK The District phone at Home The home of the District who has returned after a hard day in court, His wife enters the sitting-room. ISTRICT ATTORNE have you been doing to-d: Why—er— Trying to be evasive as usual. Perhaps you can tell me where you were between three and four afternoon? Fe (defiantly): Yes, 1 can sitting right here in that chair. D. A.: You are willing to swear (pointing) it was this chair and not possibly that chair or that one? Quick— yes or no? Wire (becoming a bit confused) : Er—no—that is, yes—of course, it that chair. D. A. (pausing, then turning to I was WANTED For Showing-Oft July 17, whirlwind Arthur Rincin on 1925, attempted fancy dancing in the middle of a dance-floor. His Mary Lotly, __ crowded mplice, quick, And the time was between two med three? Wire: Yes! D. A.: There! A moment ago you said it was between three and four. Wire (protesting): T sat here from two until four. D. A.: Hat! sure of the time? What makes you so You heard the clock ‘es—I guess so. You guess so! Don't you Yes, I know. I heard it strike two, then three and four. D. A. (looking at her keenly): are quite certain of thi: Wire (desperately): Yes! D. A. (triumphantly): We will now turn to Exhibit A, the clock. (He steps cr to clock and opens its face.) No- tice that I am turning the hand from ten minutes after six, which it now registers, to exactly seven. (He does so and the clock fails.to strike.) The defendant can see that the clock is not striking; therefore that she could not have heard it-even had she been here. Wire (weeping): L admit it. I ad- mit it. I wasn’t here. I spent the afternoon shopping. I was afraid you'd tell me I was spending too much. D. A. (turning to the tw v who have been watching this cros: - omination h profound boredom): There yoy are, ladies and gentlemen. «- The State rests Now let's have dinner You Curtain, Tracy Hammond Lewis SCHOOL TEACHER who was Aaron? The first man in the tele UNDAY Johnny, JouNnny phone book Counterweight Oo you are grand and grave and staid, And I am light as light can be { cannot think whatever made You look at me. You hold that sanest minds are t You value truth at twice its wo I love the crackle of a jest, The spark of mirth, You burn to right the world’s old wrongs— Your eyes were made to blaze and dream ; My chief concerns are silks and songs, And cakes and cream. Oh, you are wise as sage and seer, While I am fooligh and perverse, And yet I really think, my dear, You might do worse. Lois Whitcomb. For Foot-Poking George H. Ashty (alias George H. Ashty) on September 3, Sep: tember 19 and October 11, 1925 sat in the theatre and poked his foot through the opening in the seat in front of him. When last seen he was wearing a_ black jora hat to match his dinner- coat comicbooks.com