Green’s Dictionary of Slang

swatchel-box n.

also schwassle-box
[showman’s jargon Swatchel, Mr Punch; ult. swatchel, the distorting instrument a puppeteer holds in his mouth in order to produce Punch’s characteristic squeaky tones or Ger. schwätzeln, usual form of schwatzen, to chatter, to tattle]

a Punch and Judy show, esp. the booth in which it is performed.

Show quotations
[UK]Dickens ‘Slang’ in Household Words 24 Sept. 76/1: A Punch’s show [is] a schwassle-box.
[UK]Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. 207: SCHWASSLE-BOX, the street performance of punch and judy.
[UK] Hotten Sl. Dict. [as cit. 1860].
[UK]Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues.