The Wasp — 1891 — page 294: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains two illustrated stories. The top cartoon shows "Cheek," depicting a character who stole shoes and is now being confronted. The illustration shows figures in period dress, likely satirizing social pretension or criminal behavior among the lower classes. The larger story, "The Mafia's Revenge," describes Sicilian prisoners lynched in New Orleans and subsequent revenge violence. It references Parkerson, an apparent leader involved in the lynching, who becomes a "doomed man" facing Mafia retaliation. The narrative satirizes his attempts to hide from assassins, with organ music playing ominously nearby. The bottom illustration shows "Miss Smoke" preparing for a cake walk, a reference to a popular entertainment form of the era, likely satirizing contemporary social customs or racial stereotypes prevalent in 1890s America.