Here's a link about The National Police Gazette, the first men's tabloid. Your turn-of-the century ancestor might have snuck a peak at it while waiting for a haircut at a barbershop near you.
These 1940s Police Gazette cover girls will give you an idea of what the magazine looked like.
I wonder if they are hiring. :) (Trap For Subway Mashers! West Virginia's Shocking Film Racket! Sorry, just practicing...)