The age-herald., 1900-05-31
THREE MEN SHOT
 AT WEDDING FEAST Pete Jones Used Revolver With
 Terrible Effect. WOUNDS ARE NOT FATAL
Pete Bryner, Tom Means and Lewis Bowen Were Struck by Flying Bullets, But Neither is
 Seriously Injured

wedding, feast, dance and tragedy combined to make a highly exciting and sensational episode in the western portion of the city last night. As result three men are at Copeland & Berry's infirmary suffering with more or less serious wounds, none of which, however, are considered necessarily fatal.
 Miss Beresford was married to Jerry Sul- livan last night and in commemoration of the event MT. Beresford rendered the couple a reception and banquet at his residence in Second avenue, between Tenth and Elev- enth streets. The reception progressed with the smoothness of such functions un- til shortly after midnight, when Pete Jones, recently bartender at Sullivan's saloon, brought 1t to sudden end by firing indis- criminately into the crowd, wouhdng Pete Bryner, Tom Means and Lewis Bowen. Bryner was shot in the abdomen, but the wound is not considered fatal as the ball only entered the flesh and did not touch any vital organs. Means was shot in the thigh and Bowen in the leg. The wounded men were taken to the Copeland & Berry in firmary, where they were given medical attention.
 Jones emptied his pistol a six-shooter, and then broke away and fed soon losing himself in the darkness.
 It apears from the best information ob- tainable that Jones, who is said to have been drinking, had insulted a woman and his brother remonstrated with him. Soon after this incident he became involved in a quarrel with Bryner and Means and, pull ing his pistol, began firing at them. Means brother, who was near by, grabbed Jones around the waist and one arm and tried to prevent him shooting, but despite his efforts the six. chambers of the pistol were emptied. The wounded men did not cry out, and it was not known for several minutes that any one had been hit. Jones by this time had made his escape and later efforts to locate him proved futile
 Bowen, one of the wounded men, was not implicated in the quarrel, and at the time he was hit was standing near the front gate. He was hit by stray bullet.
 Following the wedding ceremonies at the church reception was given at MT. Beres- ford's residence A platform had been erected in the back yard for the convent ence Of the younger people who desired to dance. At the time the difficulty occcured a dance was in progress, and the report of the first shot was the first intimation those not involved had of the trouble. When the shooting began the crowd dis persed the women running into the house as quickly as possible, and some of the men attempting to separate the comba- tants and prevent bloodshed. In the ex- crlemenu or the moment 1t was not noticed that any one was shot, and Jones was per mitted to escape Mr. Means, a brother-in- law of Tom Means. one of the mean who was shot, was an eyewitness to the trag- edy. In speaking of it to an Age-Herald reporter he said:
 II was dancing at the time and looking towards Jones l saw him take a step back ward and pull his pistol. I was only few feet away and with all possible haste ran to him and grabbed him around the waist. I locked my right arm through his right arm and thought had such a firm hold on him that he could not fire his pistol. With his arm extended downward he continued one until after he had emptied his pistol and I had turned him loose. As soon as his arm was free he broke and ran and when we discovered that some of the men present had been hit by him he was no longer in sight. He shot six times. I do not know what gave rise to the difficulty but was told that Jones had insulted a woman."
 There was much indignation over the in- cident and threats against Jones were heard quite frequently last night Jones is stationery engineer, but has recently been engaged as bar tender at Sullivan's saloon in First avenue. Bryner Is an em- ploye of the Birmingham rolling mill, and Means works at the sheet mill at Besse- mer. Bowens occupation could not be as- certained last night. He seems to have been stranger to most of those present.