The Wasp — 1881 — page 237: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical cartoon criticizes the Baggs case trial proceedings. The top panel depicts courtroom chaos where multiple figures appear to be coaching or "laying for" (setting up) witnesses—suggesting orchestrated testimony rather than genuine evidence. The bottom panels show absurdist consequences: figures wear sandwich boards advertising "WITNESSES WANTED" and "PERJURERS WANTED," mocking how easily false testimony could be obtained. Another panel shows someone in jail cells labeled "PERJURY" and "CONTEMPT," illustrating legal consequences. The scrolled list on the right names apparent case witnesses and notable figures, likely referencing a specific, well-known trial. The cartoon satirizes the unreliability of witness testimony and the apparent willingness of parties to manufacture false evidence—a commentary on trial system corruption or incompetence.