TombstoneTues: Arthur Wm CUPP

Arthur William CUPP
b. 20 Feb 1897, Lena Valley, Greenwood Co, KS
d. 02 January 1914, Lemoore, Kings Co, Calif.

First, I apologize to those who find this photo offensive.
Obviously it is not a tombstone, and normally I consider
photos of the remains of a Recently Departed to be, at
the very least, in poor taste. I've never understood
why anyone would make such photos in the first place.

However, I've always been fascinated by the composition
of this particular photo. Because the gunshot wound
that ended Arthur's life isn't visible, and because
before I ever saw the photo I knew he was only
16 at the time, it's easy to imagine he's only
playing a teenage prank, and afterward stood
up and had a good laugh with his buddies.

He didn't get up, of course, but teenage horsing
around gone horribly wrong may've been what
caused him to be the subject of this photo.

The Emporia Gazette on 14 January 1914 reported

"[Arthur] was instantly killed by the accidental
discharge of a gun while riding in an auto with
his cousin John Kerby. The gun had been slipped
under the lap robe to protect it from the rain
which was falling. Young Kerby heard the
report and looked quickly around to get a
glance from his cousin, who dropped dead."

That was the version relayed from California
to the hometown newspaper back in Kansas.

A now-elderly relative claims what really happened
was John Kerby, believing the gun wasn't loaded,
had reached under the lap robe and was holding
it against Arthur's side when it went off.

But back to the photo...

In 1914, the deceased would be embalmed by an undertaker,
then returned to his or her home to be dressed and put on
display for mourners until the funeral and burial. Much
like present-day viewings (or visitations) at a funeral
home, except family members were expected to
take turns "sitting [with] the body" at night.

Where the deceased was "laid out" for viewing was a
matter of personal choice and size of the dwelling. If
the front parlor was large enough, the kitchen table
was brought in, covered, and the body placed on it.

If not, as it wasn't at my grandparents', the dining room
and its table would be used. Or the body might be placed
on the bed in the bedroom closest to the front door.

That said, I can't for the life of me figure out if
the room Arthur is in is the parlor or a bedroom.
Its size suggests the parlor, but the dresses
hanging at the left would indicate a bedroom.

And the hangings around the body... Could be
something the funeral home provided, but might
just as easily be the curtains from the parlor.


Now two photos from happier times...

~ Arthur's parents ~
Albert Isaac "Bert" CUPP, 20, & Jennie May MORRIS, 16,
on their wedding day, 22 Feb 1894, in Emporia KS.
Eldest child Clara Etta was born 18 mos later.
Arthur arrived 15 months after "Etta".

A year or two after Arthur's birth, Bert decided he didn't
want to be married to Jennie any more and went to
California. Jennie eventually divorced him (in 1899),
also went to California, married a not-very-nice man
named Emerson Brown, and had seven more children.
The eldest is in the center of the next photo.

Clara Etta Cupp, 9, & Arthur William Cupp, almost 7,
with half-sister Mary Ellen Brown, almost 2, in Dec 1903


See "Etta" as a teenager with some of her Morris
cousins (the photo is toward the end of the post).




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