Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-20
SHE WOULD NOT WEAR CORSETS
And Eschewed Heels and De-
veloped Her Muscle.
Therefore Artist Stetson Wants a
Divorce from His Wife.
A Pasadena Authoress and Hcr Peculiar
ideas il bout Marriage and Prog
ress Her Husbands
Complaint.

Mrs. Charlotte Perkins Stetson is well
known in Southern California as a re-
sident Of Pasadena and an ambitious
writer. The following dispatch to the
San Francisco Examiner will be found of
interest to those who know of the young
woman:
PRovIrENcE, r. l., Dec. 17.-G. Walt
Stetson, an impressionist artist, whose
works in oil and water colors have he Id
q high place, appeared as petitioner for
divorce before Judge Wilbur in the court
of common pleas today.
The respondent, Charlotte Perkins
Stetson, is writer of no mean ability,
and her literary works of the Bellamy
order have attracted much attention
throughout the country during the past
two years. Both are young, the hus-
band being not over 35, and the wife, a
handsome woman, who is at present a
resident of Pasadena, Cal, was led to
the altar in this city May 2. 1884.
Mrs. Stetson is charged by her hus-
band with being "crsnk" on dreeB and
physical reform, and with having ap-
peared in public without corsets, boot
heels and waist belt. She was not pres
ent to contest, neither was she repre-
sented by counsel. The testimony
showed that while Mrs. Stetson was a
genius in some respects, she was an
originator of the most radical theories
concerning married life.
It is alleged that she said she was q
k.,-k l. ..,1c 4 -
ship in this respect should not be made
to interfere with her development OF the
literary work which she had chosen to
follow, and which che considered pro-
fession.
Artist Stetson's story, told the court,
was remarkable one for its revelations,
and was as follows:
coRsETs AND HEELS TABooED.
l"Shortly alter the wedding Mrs. Stet-
son began to attend a gymnasium, and
she soon developed into very muscular
woman. She discarded her corsets, and
said it was, in her mind. an unhealthy
thing for q woman to wear q waist belt
and she also had her fine calf shoes
made without heels. Mrs. Stetson be.
came crank on all these matters. She
was loud in her clamor for dress reform
and physical reform. She said che
wanted to show the American women
how to dress and how to become strong
and healthy 80 that children might be
born to them without costing them theil
health, and in many caseB their lives.
"When Mrs. Stetson was not occupied
in the gymnasium and in advocating be-
fore women's meetings the cause o.
dress reform and physical culture she
wrote for various magazines, and hel
literary efforts gave her no time to at
tend to me or my wants.
HAD HER PRIVATE DEN.
"We lived very agreeably together
notwithstanding all the eccentricities O.
the respondent until July, 1899, wher
she said she had too much literary work
to attend to to pay much, if she gave
any attention to me, and she took her.
self to apartments in the house and said
she had decided to give all the rest oi
the residence to me. This was grea!
surprise to me, but-I had long appre.
hended that the time must come when
my wife would give up married obliga-
tions altogether.
II considered it the easiest way out Of
the difficulty, and -assented to
anything she suggested in this
direction. She remained at the
house as my wife in name only un-
til January 10, 1890, when che
packed up her literary and dress reform
effects and left for the west. She dis.
cussed the situation of her life from her
standpoint, and she said it was only an
aggravation not to have the days longe,
80 that she could give up her entire time
to the writings which she was then en-
gagged in. At that time she was loaded
down with the works of Bellamy. She
took up in course, however, the different
reforms, and said she expected to lend
her aid to all the reform movements
that were to be started in the future.
WHERE PATIENCE FAILED.
"On various occasions Mrs. Steteor
would indulge in lectures on national
iem, and she talked of Bellamy theories
from daylight till night. I endeavored
to indulge all this and many Other
much pain, but failed to find that the
wife. The literary bureau which Mrs
was something gigantic. She con
tTlDutou IeSuihIly " tuo NutluuhiiSt
paper and was widely advertised, the
result being that it brought crankf
to my residence to consult and visit her
She also wrote extensively for the mag
azines. 1t is said that come of her pro.
auctions were favorably considered by
Holmes, Howells and Edward Everett
Hale, also by other well-known
authors"
The court was then given some lettera
written by the absent wife on the Pa.
cifc slope. They were of vigorous
business turn in style and refrained
from any endearing terms. She made
known in plain words that che was busy
day and night on her book and maga-
zine articles and that she would never
on that account return to live with her
husband. The court reserved its de-
cision.