Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(US) any anonymous man.

1894		Times-Democat (Pawnee, OK) 2 Nov. 5/2: Democrat Ticket. For Dog Pelter, John Doe / For Wind Dispenser, Bill Blivins. / For Chief Bouncer, Joe Doakes.
1902		J.R. Kemble Four hundred Laughs n.p.: Lessee and Party of the first part Author and Party of the second part JOE DOAKS, Notary Public By Authority of Book and Umbrella Collectors Ass’n.
1916		Wash. Times (DC) 11 Jan. 12/2: Joe Doak told his work he was going to work at night. His wife [...] found he wasn’t there.
1926		E.P. Norwood Other Side of the Circus 77: We call him Joe Doaks – you know, a sort of rube.
1939		W. Winchell On Broadway 16 Oct. [synd. col.] Things that irk the ear: The radio announcers who introduce a band leader like this: ‘And now Joe Doakes, his trumpet and his orchestra.’.
1944		Why Daddy? [film cast] Robert Benchley – Joseph A. Doakes.
1948		J. Sutherland ‘Make Mine Freedom’ [cartoon] Back in the 1890s, Joe Doakes was just a guy who liked to tinker around his barn .
1951		US Congress House Committee on the Judiciary ‘Study of Monopoly Power’ 12: Mr. Cobb, what do you think would have happened had you been Mr. Joe Doakes in that controversy?
1964		J.H. Bunzel Issues of Amer. Public Policy 280: Business must learn to speak for Joe Doakes when civil rights are involved.
1977		D. Muller Whitey 79: I would in fact, be Joe Dokes, a stalwart of society, a pillar of Suburbia with its shrunken intellectual horizon, its false morality and phoney propriety.
1979		Kohlenberger & Klibansky Essays in Honor of Raymond Klibansky 63: Of course, it would be a mistake for Joe Doakes to think that he elected the candidate.
1987		USAF Air University Rev. 97: That Joe Doakes had his shortcomings was obvious to his commander.
1992		L. Bogart Project Clear 295: Pfc Joe Doakes has been going with a pretty Korean girl who speaks some English.
2004		‘The Parable of Joe Doakes’ at Christianity Revealed 🌐 Joe Doakes is the one who invented all the traffic laws. He invented the red light and the green light.