On November 1, 1909, she sued for divorce alleging "extreme cruelty."[2] Shortly afterward, in late November Stoddart filed a countersuit.[3] He alleged that his wife's attraction to one of his friends, Robert L. Shape, had led to the marital breakdown. During this era, when marital breakdowns were considered scandalous, The New York Times published three intimately personal letters from Mrs. Stoddart to Mr. Stoddart, in which she begged for a legal separation and financial support.[3]