As a result of a mixup which started, it is alleged, over a young lady, Albert Zbinden age seventeen, was shot with a twenty-two calibre revolver in the hands of Lloyd Carolus, aged sixteen, last night. The shooting occurred near Broadway shortly after 9 o’clock. Both of the young men tell different stories. Zbinden asserts that he was an innocent victim and that the shot fired by young Carous was meant for another member of the party. The bullet or wad struck the young man on the left cheek bone just below the eye. It did not penetrate to any depth, but plowed along the surface, although the boy’s face was badly burned by the powder.

According to the story told by young Carolus, son of Dr. and Mrs. W. B. Carolus, he was walking east near Broadway last evening with a young lady friend and another young couple when a two seated rig, in which were Zbinden and Fred Hall, drove up to the curbing. The two latter insisted that the two girls go riding with them. The girls refusing, young Carolus states, the two boys in the rig jumped out and attempted to wreck their spite on him. He states that he received a stunning blow on he side of the head which sent him reeling, felling him to the ground. While in a dazed condition from the blow he says, he recovered himself enough to reach into his pocket and pull out the pistol which, he says, was loaded with blank cartridges. He was so badly dazed he days, that he did not really know at whom he was shooting. He thought he fired in the air.

Zbinden states that while he was with Hall, he had absolutely nothing to do witn the slugging match. He asserts that Carolus meant the shot for Hall, who was in front of him, but that Hall jumped when he saw the gun, he, Zbinden, getting the full effect of the shot. He asserts that he was shot with a bullet while Carolus asserts that the gun was only loaded with blanks.

Zbinden was taken to the office of Dr. Carolus this morning by his parents, not having said anything about the wound last night. While not serious, his face is considerably burned with powder and the gash on the side of the face is a bad one. Dr. Carolus, father of young Carolus, states that he regrets the affair exceedingly and has done everything possible for the injured lad. He states that he has repeatedly warned his son against carrying a revolver.

Contributed by Larry Reynolds - Sterling Daily Standard 15 Jun 1911