When you enter a character as a footnote mark, the radio button for 'character'
does not automatically check itself.

1. Create some text
2. Select Insert->Footnote ... from the menu

Note that the 'Number' radio button is toggled

3. Hit Tab to get to the input box to enter a character
4. Enter a character (I used an asterisk)
5. Hit Enter
6. The footnote is inserted

The correct action should probably be to have the radio button change state so
that 'Character' is toggled as soon as the user enters something in the
character input box.