The Wasp — April 24, 1880 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# The Illustrated Wasp, April 24, 1880 The masthead cartoon depicts a wasp—the magazine's emblem—in a characteristic aggressive posture, ready to sting. This represents the publication's satirical mission. The main content critiques California's 1880 Legislature, condemning it as disgraced and ineffective. The text attacks the recently passed "Workingmen's Party" charter bill, calling it unconstitutional and harmful. The satire argues the legislature has wasted time on "ridiculous enactments" while accomplishing little substantive good. The article also covers "The Severance Horror"—a documented murder case involving a widow's servant in Richmond, England, found boiled and dismembered in a chest. The coverage uses this sensational true crime to illustrate broader social anxieties about servant reliability and household mysteries during the era.