Fawn Brodie detailed the incident. Emma had gone to St. Louis to buy furniture for their newly-built mansion. While she was gone, Joseph let Porter Rockwell put up a cash liquor bar in the foyer. When Emma returned and saw the bar, she told Joseph to take it down immediately or she would take their children and divorce him. Divorce would have scandalized Joseph, so he relented, removed the bar, and Emma stayed.
But of course, Joseph was killed shortly after that. If he had lived another few months, and more details about his extra-marital affairs and other crimes had come out, Emma might very well have divorced him over that.