The Cigarette Divorce
A Seattle woman sues for divorce, claiming her husband's persistent habit of smoking cigarettes in bed was a personal indignity that ruined her rest.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The matrimonial experiences of Mrs. Nathan Freedman reached a climax yesterday when she filed a complaint for a divorce from Nathan Freedman, whom she took for better or worse, cigarettes and all, April 18, 1893. She alleges that he has neglected to provide for her support; that he has been guilty of personal indignities; that he is a cigarette fiend and insists on smoking them at all times of the day and night, and particularly upon retiring. He insists upon smoking, and has on serious occasions smoked almost all night in bed. She says that it was nauseating to her and spoiled her rest. She sues for $75 a month alimony.
“He is a cigarette fiend and insists on smoking them at all times of the day and night, and particularly upon retiring.”
While 'cigarette fiend' and 'personal indignity' sound like archaic language, the underlying claim—that a partner's domestic habits can fundamentally violate a living environment—remains a standard point of contention in modern relationship law.
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