"THE LITTLE SON OF BITCH HAS MY PURSE!"

Last night brother Hank, his wife Ann, and I were walking the dogs. They live in Old Louisville. The area is gorgeous, but edges iffy areas. As we went by the neighborhood restaurant and bar we call HI to a waitress M and a waiter sitting out front. Their shift was over and they crossed the street to talk to us. As we talked she started screaming, " The little son of bitch has my purse! Stop him, help me." And she took off running. A man on a bike joined the chase, and another man came flying around the corner and joined in.

Side bar: She runs in the park every day, is young, and long legged; she had left her purse on the table when they crossed over to talk to us. The thief had walked by them a couple of times.

She continues screaming as she chases him. You could hear her for blocks. He has a city block on her. We stayed behind, and the waiter (he was too old to run) called the police. Then my brother went after her, to console her and bring her back. They were all soon out of sight. But we could hear her.

The police dispatcher said they couldn't do anything but take the report. No car would come. And we waited and waited for them to come back. Ann and I and the dogs start looking for Hank. We walk to the bad area and a police car rolls by. He stops and says did you see him. We said no, and then M waves from the car. We asked where Hank was, the cop told us the street and continued on.

We go back to the restaurant and wait. The police car arrives, and soon after Hank walks up. M had her purse. But the thief got her tip money. She had caught the thief, choked him, kneed him, planned to kill him. He threw down her purse and as she took it, he got away. People hearing her screams had also called the police. We had two cars looking for him.

The police warned M how dangerous her actions had been. They told her since the thief was familiar to staff ( he had walked through the tables often) to call them if he came back. They didn't care if she killed him, they were a little proud of her catching him. But maybe they should handle it from here on in.