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A complete, restored issue of Judge from 1886-10-16 — all 18 pages of color political cartoons and topical humor, free to page through at comicbooks.com.

On the cover: # "Caught Napping" - Judge Magazine, October 16, 1886 This cartoon satirizes labor radicalism and property crime during the Gilded Age. The illustration shows a man being caught breaking into a storefront at night while a policeman apprehends him. In the background, a Richmond Grand Assembly tent is visible, suggesting a labor gathering. The caption's quote defends harsh punishment for criminals who destroy railroad or telegraph property, equating labor radicals with common burglars. The satire targets "Knights of Labor" ideology—a major labor organization of the era—by suggesting that labor activists who sabotage infrastructure are no better than ordinary thieves, and deserve severe legal consequences. The "napping" likely refers to authorities being caught unaware of labor radicalism's criminal activities.

🖼️ Every page has a plain-English note on what you’re looking at — the figures, the references, the point of the satire.

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A complete issue · 18 pages · 1886

Judge — October 16, 1886

1886-10-16 · Free to read

Judge — October 16, 1886 — page 1
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# "Caught Napping" - Judge Magazine, October 16, 1886 This cartoon satirizes labor radicalism and property crime during the Gilded Age. The illustration shows a man being caught breaking into a storefront at night while a policeman apprehends him. In the background, a Richmond Grand Assembly tent is visible, suggesting a labor gathering. The caption's quote defends harsh punishment for criminals who destroy railroad or telegraph property, equating labor radicals with common burglars. The satire targets "Knights of Labor" ideology—a major labor organization of the era—by suggesting that labor activists who sabotage infrastructure are no better than ordinary thieves, and deserve severe legal consequences. The "napping" likely refers to authorities being caught unaware of labor radicalism's criminal activities.

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