. ▁By ▁ 1 8 9 1 , ▁C ody ▁had ▁instruct ed ▁his ▁brother - in - law ▁to ▁handle ▁Freder ici ' s ▁affairs ▁and ▁property , ▁stating ▁" I ▁often ▁feel ▁sorry ▁for ▁her . ▁She ▁is ▁a ▁strange ▁woman ▁but ▁I ▁don ' t ▁mind ▁her — rem ember ▁she ▁is ▁my ▁wife — and ▁let ▁it ▁go ▁at ▁that . ▁If ▁she ▁gets ▁c ran ky , ▁just ▁laugh ▁at ▁it , ▁she ▁can ' t ▁help ▁it ." ▁C ody ▁hoped ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁divor ce ▁quiet , ▁so ▁as ▁to ▁not ▁dis rupt ▁his ▁show ▁or ▁his ▁stage ▁persona , ▁but ▁Freder ici ▁had ▁other ▁ideas . ▁ ▁Fil ing ▁for ▁divor ce ▁was ▁sc and alous ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century , ▁when ▁mar ital ▁un ions ▁were ▁seen ▁as ▁binding ▁for ▁life . ▁This ▁further ed ▁C ody ' s ▁determ ination ▁to ▁get ▁Freder ici ▁to ▁agree ▁to ▁a ▁" qu iet ▁legal ▁separation ," ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁avoid ▁" war ▁and ▁public ity ." ▁The ▁court ▁records ▁and ▁depos itions ▁that ▁were ▁kept ▁with ▁the ▁court ▁case ▁threatened ▁to ▁ru in ▁C ody ' s ▁respect ability ▁and ▁cred ibility . ▁His ▁private ▁life ▁had ▁not ▁been ▁open ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁before , ▁and ▁the ▁application ▁for ▁divor ce ▁brought ▁unw anted ▁attention ▁to ▁the ▁matter . ▁Not ▁only ▁did ▁town spe ople ▁feel ▁the ▁need ▁to ▁take ▁sides ▁in ▁the ▁divor ce , ▁but ▁head lines ▁rang ▁out