STRANGE WEDDING DRAMA.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 257, 3 November 1906, Page 13

STRANGE WEDDING DRAMA.

bbibe.gp.o6m forced to biarbS A . WBOSGED GISt. A dramatic scene has, according? to a New Yorfe correspondent, occurred "n Brooklyn. A notice appeared tliat a 7 -- riage between Mr William Thober, of N«yrark, and Miss Mary Macdonald would take place at the borne of tfee bride's mother on Sunday night. The reception rooms were beautifully decorated with flowers, and tha guests had assembled, the master of the ceremonies being Mr Griffin, Mies Macdonald's brother-in-law, who had ushered into the rear room a pale-faced girl with a heavily veiled woman, and had them hidden away in a recess.

in the reception room was Miss Macdonald, arrayed iv her wedding gown and orange blossoms, weeping. Out in the dining room was Mr Thober, laughing and joking with a group of men. Suddenly Mr Griffin whispered in his ear, and the bridegrood turned pale,. whereupon Mr -Jriffin whispered. "Face the music. Mies Macdonald is your bridesmaid, not your bride. The bride will be Miss Viola Glover, of Newark, New Jersey, the girl whom you betrayed and deserted three months' ago."

The curtains were brrished aside, Miss Glover stepped forward, and Miss Macdonald, with an arm around her rival's waist, advanced a step, and said calmly, "Marry her; she doesn't want you, but she needs your name." Many of the guests wept, ana all of them surrounded Mr Thober, who stood open-mouthed, staring into space. He seemed to have no alternative but to do as he was told.

In two minutes Viola Glover was Mrs Thober. Everyone smothered both the bride and her maid of honour with kisses and tears. The wedding feast followed, but no bridegroom was there. Mrs Macdonald was equal to the occasion. She handed Mr Thober his hat, pointed to the street door, and opened it. "Go," she said, "and go quickly." He went, and has not been seen elnce.

It appears that Miss Jtfacdonald had heard how her fiance had jilted Hiss Glorer, and was determined to compel liim to behave like a gentleman. Afterwards the papers contained the following notice: "Macdonald — Thober engagement.—The marriage between:. Jgfgs Mary Macdonald and Ifr William Tfc&JJljr is cancelled, owing to the bridegroom baying a wife at Newark." Both girls are .only nineteen years old, and the bridegroom is twenty-one. POT-SHOT IN A CHURCHYARD. MAN WINGED -BY A VICAR. On two occasions recently Gorleston Church, near Yarmouth, has been broken into and the offertory boxes robbed. As the village police failed to make any arTests, the vicar, the Hcv. Forbes Phillips, who is widely known at) an author and playwright, arranged with the churchwardens to keep watch himself. The opportunity for action soon presented itself. A suspicious-looking man had been noticed hanging about, so the vicar posted himself in his hiding-place about ten o'clock. He had been watching soKe hours, when he noticed a movement among the gravestones, and presently a man emerge-1 an f l began to tamper with the south door. At the same time a confederate appeared, evidently for the purpose of keeping guard while the other entered the chrch. Tlhe vicar stepped out from his hiding place and called upon the »aan at the door to stand and throw up his hands. Instead of doing this the man attempted to get back among the graves, while his friend ran to him. The vicar, who had a revolver, fired, and one of the men shrieked and fell. Mr. Forbes Phillips went at once to get his parish clerk out of bed, with the intention of giving the wounded man such help *s he needed; but when the cl<?rk arrived with a lantern it was found thai; the interlopers had got away. The vicar communicated with the police, who have a clue to work on, since a search at daylight resulted in the discovery of a large sheet of stiff paper smeared with lying close to the churchyard.

A man who lives near says that he was awakened by the shots, and heard groans, which continued for some time. The night was very dark and wet—a filet that no doubt facilitated escape.

It is stated that church thieves in the neighbourhood have become very daring of late, and as the police find the work of capture very difficult owing to the obstruction offered by th« gravestones, the vicar determined to use his personal efforts towards capturing the raider. The vicar explained to an interviewer that he had been watching two hours when lie saw a man-emerge from the gravestones and begin tampering with the church door He gave this man and his confederate every opportunity to come out of their place of concealment, and called upon them to hold up their hands, but they bolted back in the darkness among the tombs, and he fired.