Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-09-21
.PARS0N SAVES BRIDE.
Pastors Daughter Says Wooer Forced Her to Altar by Pistol.
THREATENED TO SHOOT GIRL

]: THREATENED TO SHOOT GIRL When Love Plot Fails Desperate Re jected Suitor Pursues Pretty Belle Grouse, Breaking Through Window : la Her Home at Ocean Grove, N. J. Asbury Park, N. J., Sept. 21. A thrilling story of how frantic suitor, armed with a revolver, forced Miss Belle Grouse of Stanhope to go with him from Ocean Grove to Asbury Park to be married under threat of murder was revealed by the girls father, Rev. N. P. Grouse pastor Of the First Pres byterian church. The hsroism of a brother clergyman in the middle of the marriage ceremony saved the minis ter's Gargkter from harm. The man in the case, who was driven almost to insanity through his love for the beautiful twenty-two-year-old girl. is Percy C. Bissell of Stanhope. For years Bissell had wooed the young woman. but she evinced no inclination to regard him as more than friend Time after time he had asked her to marry him, and she had courteously declined.
 This series Of refusals preyed so much upon Bissell's mind that he de termined he would make Miss Grouse his bride whether she would or no. At that time the family of the min ister lived in North Jersey. Rev. MT. Grouse, not wishing to have Bissell arrested for annoying his daughter. exhibited charity toward the unfor- tunate young fellow and moved to Stanhope.
 Smiled GrimIy and Returned.
 But Bissell followed. He called many times at the parsonage. but was received coldly by Miss Crouse The minister pleaded with him to let the girl alone, but he merely smiled grim ly and returned again.
 In desperation Rev. Mir. Grouse took his family while ago to an Ocean Grove hotel, where he felt sure they would be unmolested by Bissell, as he apparently had no means of discover ing just where the Crouses had gone
 But Bissell's possibly half insane mind had lent him shrewdness, and after a short search he located the girl He did not go to the hotel at first, planning to meet Miss Grouse on the street.
 Bissel arrived in Ocean Grove on Thursday morning. It was only few hours later when he saw the woman he had sworn to make his wife walk Ing blithely toward her hotel. Bissell walked up to her brusquely and said:
 You've got to marry me or I'll kill you"
 Miss Grouse did not scream. for Bis sell quickly warned her not to do so if she valued her life, at the same time | pulling out revolver. .ti Threatened the Girls Life. f
 "You see it's loaded" he remarked coolly, "and I'll use it.'
 Miss Grouse says that for probably two hours while in constant fear that she would be murdered she talked with the man, vainly trying to switch | the conversation to other topics than those of love and marriage. Bissell however, hung on to his line of thought with bulldog pertinacity and finally seeing he had made no progress, said:
 You come with me in carriage tt | Asbury Park and become my wife ol I'll kill you at once. I'll shoot if yot raise an outcry."
 The girl, sharp of mind, saw deatf would result from refusal and com piled. Bissell calmly called a closed carriage, and the pair were driven tt Asbury Park to the home of Rev Charles N. Griffin. pastor of the Firs Methodist Episcopal church. Preserv ing his placidity, Bissell answered thu questions put to him as to his age an' eligibility for matrimony.
 Suddenly. just before the clergyman was half through the solemn function the girl broke down and wept. Bissel looked on calmly. The minister though Miss Grouse had collapsed under tn excitement incident to becoming bride. but in a few hurried, half co herent words she blurted out the story
 Bissell turned white. with rage. Fl had been taken by surprise, thinkin he had the girl in his clutches. But ar other surprise was coming for hin The aged minister. with the agility 0 a boy, sprang upon the man an fought with him all around the room saying:
 Broke In Hotel Window.
 "Give me that revolver. young mar Would you commit murderf
 Meanwhile Miss Grouse escaped an ran back to the hotel. where she tol her father of the affair. Rev. M Griffin had disarmed Bissell by thi time after a hard struggle. and tn young man had ealmed down. Fl promised never to molest Miss Crous again, and the kindly but athletic mil ister let him go.
 BIsseIl promptly went to the hotel Ocean Grove where the Grouse famil was stopping and broke through window. Attendants jumped on hil and held him. while he furiously d ! man6ei to see the young woman. H
 was told she was not in Again