The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-25
WOMAN WITNESS
 TO TELL WHITMAN
 STORY OF MURDER
WIFE OF POLPS BIJOU MANAGER SAW ROSENTHAL FALL AFTER BEING SHOT IN FRONT
 OF METROPOLE.
SAT AT TABLE WITH POLICEMAN FILES, WHO SHE SAYS WAS UNJUSTLY SUSPENDED FOR
 BEING SLOW.


 New Haven, July 25-Upon the iden- tifcation of Mrs. Edward Shields wife of the manager of the Bijou theatre in this city, of the man in light suit and white cap, who rushed into the Metropole at New York on the night of the shooting of Herman Rosenthal, the New York gambler, hinges an inn portant development to the murder mystery, and so important has the testimony of Mrs. Shields, who saw Rosenthal fall after being shot, been considered by the New York authori- ties. that District Attorney Whitman sent his representative here two days after the murder ]. to interview Mrs. Shields, and secure her version of the case. Mrs. Shields has given the dis tr1ct attorney her assurance that she will be on hand when subpoenaed to give what is now considered to be very material evidence. f
 Mrs. Shields, who is known by her stage name as Miss Sadie Sherman, was on the scene after the shooting of Rosenthal, but would not give her name the night of the tragedy, fear witness. She would not make any Statement al this time but for the ia ct that she believes that Policeman William J Files, with whom her party was dining, was unjustly sus- pended for the escape of the murder
 
 by the tragedy to tell whether the mysterious man in light suit was one of the gang which accompanied the crime or whether he was merely a frightened spectator who was hurry ing to get out of the way of the shots.
 The actress usually stops at the Metropole when in New York, and had gone there Tuesday night after finishing an engagement at the Pal isade theatre on Sunday to arrange for fall bookings before coming to this city.
 Miss sherman tells the following story:
 q, met Miss Artie Hall and a couple of friends in the cafe where I went to get lunch before retiring. We had sat there only short time, when MT. Files came to our table, and I met him for the first time.
 We had planned to go to another cafe. but I was waiting for a long distance call from my husband in this city, and we decided to remain there. from the door. MT. Files was sitting with his back to the street and I was facing the door. While sitting there my attention was called to MT. Ro- senthal and three men with him at a table to the front and center of the leave the room When the first shot was fred we all thought it a tire ex- plcsion. but when four more shots came in automatic succession we knew there was something up. I rose to my feet and saw Rosenthal when he fell with his head nearly in the doorway.
 s'Files left the table in a leap, draw ing his gun and knocked a waiter down in his rush for the door. At the instant 9Rosenthal fell. a man dressed in a light suit and wearing a cfr u a cafe and through the door where the victim lay. thought he was the party they were shooting at, and my first impulse. was to gain a place of safety I was soon assured that it was some one else. I was the only woman who did not faint or have hysteria, and I believe I was about the first to reach the door when I saw Rosehthal's face covered with blood. and I asked MT. Considine to cover him with a tablecloth.
 "It is rank injustice to MT. Files to say that he was dilatory or slow. When I reached the door he was in a taxi urging the driver to turn around as rapidly as possible in the narrow street. for the car, was facing Broad way While the car was being turned two officers jumped in with Files and they whisked up Forty-second street. :"
 Miss Sherman is unable to identify the parties who were at the table with Rosenthal, nor could she identify the assassins, for the men who did the shooting were evidently standing ob- Iiuuely to the door, but great stress is placed upon her identification of the man in the soft hat whom the prosecutor holds may be an accessory to the murder or if not. valuable witness who may be able to diEulge something thatlwill throw light on the crime.