Man Says He Doesn't Recall Leaving Huge Tip

CHICAGO - A British man who left a Chicago waitress a $10,000 tip later rejected by his credit card company claims he was drunk and doesn't remember leaving the huge amount on a $9 bar tab. David Martyn Nicholas left the tip last Monday for Leg Room waitress Melanie Uczen, 23. She had told Nicholas that she needed money for graduate school. Nicholas, 35, said Friday at his London home that he felt someone had ''clearly taken advantage of my drunken state in that bar,'' adding that he doesn't remember the incident. But Leg Room owner Fred Hoffmann said Nicholas seemed to be thinking clearly at the time, noting that the bar's manager photocopied his passport and had him sign a statement agreeing to the tip. The bar's owners have pledged to give Uczen the money themselves because of the publicity generated by the incident.