As I headed to pick up some last minutes leaflets, late this afternoon I paused to mail a letter to a fellow who doesn’t plan to vote for me. He caught me in an elementary mistake which necessitated a change in my fliers. I also picked up some candy for trick or treaters at Jubliee in the Plaza. Just after dropping off a thank you letter to him for catching my mistake I drove off toward the Oriental Grocery on 1st St. and Eighth Ave. E. Out of the grocery flew a young man followed closely by the store’s clerk. I surmised that a robbery had just taken place and gave chase …for about fifteen seconds.
The villain ran between yards and crossed the alley and slipped between some apartments. I pulled into the alley behind the grocery and was caught short by a dog on a leash who was quite excited that a car was heading for him. I spared the dog and backed out to much barking. I circled the block but could not pick up the trail of the thief.
I went back to the store and entered it as the clerk was speaking on the telephone to, I presume, 911. Shortly thereafter a woman entered who had seen the same thing I did but who had kept traveling up 8th Avenue without turning into the alley that had boxed me in. She had seen the robber climb into his car on another street and had taken down his liscense plate number.
We stayed until the police came and each wrote down statements about what we’d seen. It made for a memorable All Hallows Eve.
