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The Bride Forced At Gunpoint To Wedding By Groom Only To Be Saved By Hero Minister
In 1907, a deranged New Jersey man tried to get the woman he was obsessed with marrying by taking her to a minister at gunpoint
Usually, weddings are a time for great joy and celebration. The union of two people making a lifetime commitment is a celebration of love. However, that was not the case for a New Jersey woman named Belle Crouse, who was forced to the altar at gunpoint by a love crazed man whose dastardly plan to marry her against her will was only foiled by a heroic minister.
This bizarre story unfolded in 1907. Crouse was a 21-year-old woman from Stanhope, New Jersey who was known for her beauty. She had been pursued for years by a man named Percy Bissell, aged 22. They met singing in the same church choir where her father was the minister. He made ongoing advances to her for a relationship, but was always rebuffed beyond them ever being anything besides friends. She was put off by his gambling and the fact that he seemed unbalanced at times. Not taking no for an answer, he routinely proposed to her, but was turned down each time.
Crouse’s father was aggravated that Bissell was so persistent with his daughter, but still showed kindness in not taking dramatic…
