Stanford's Axe is back,
But it won't be in the familiar Cellar location until some suitable protection is found for it. The case, which was stolen with the Axe, was not returned, and the Axe is now lost in police Headquarters.

Stanford Police Chief Gordon Davis brought the Axe back to the campus early yesterday afternoon. It will be turned over to the students when public display is once again possible.

The famed symbol of Cal-Stanford rivalry was discovered late Tuesday night when Palo Alto police investigated an anonymous phone call telling them the Axe was "in the back seat of the police prowl car" outside the police station.

The call came at 11:41 p.m. At the desk sargeant's exclamation of "Well, whaddaya know!" the man at the other end of the line replied, "You're telling me! Good-bye"

DETAILS UNKNOWN

No further details were available as to the identity of the person or persons who mysteriously returned the Axe after its five month absense from the Stanford campus.

Stanford police were notified immediately after the Axe was found in the back seat of Palo Alto Police Chief Howard A. Zink's patrol car.

AXE STOLEN IN APRIL

The Axe was stolen for the fifth time last April 28 when six tall youths wearing Stanford jackets and flying jackets marched into the Cellar at 10:25 p.m. and proceeded to file the chains which anchored the Axe case to the Cellar wall. The Cellar counterman on duty Sunday night was the only person in the Cellar at the time.

One other witness saw the thieves drive away with the Axe and case in a '38 Chevrolet one-and-a-half ton pickup truck.

PICTURE SENT TO DAILY

Only definite news that the Axe had not been disposed of since the theft came in a picture of the Axe sent to the Daily Oct. 1. A note on the back of the photograph said, "Think you'll ever get it back? You may -- if and when the occassion arises."

A written pledge signed by the presidents of the Cal and Stanford student bodies in 1934 gave suspension as punishment should students from either University steal the Axe from the school temporarily holding it.

TROPHY IN 1933

In 1933, the Axe was established as a trophy to be awarded to the winner of the annual Cal-Stanford Big Game. Stanford has had it since 1942 following its 26-7 win over California.

The Axe was returned following negotiations between Stanford and Cal student officers last week, A.S.S.U. President Martin Anderson appointed Rally Committee member Dave Heyler as the Stanford representative to enlist Cal student co-operation in finding the Axe.

CAL PLEDGED AID

Heyler talked to A.S.U.C. President Ed Welch and to fraternity representative on the California campus. They said that if the Axe was on the Cal campus, it would be returned soon, and pledged their "utmost co-operation" in insuring its return to Stanford, Heyler said.

Following yesterday's return of the Axe, A.S.S.U. President Martin Anderson stated: "The symbol of Big Game rivalry has been preserved by the voluntary return of the Axe. It is of no concern who took the Axe. The important matter is that it was brought back through the efforts of the Associated Students of California. GOOD WILL DEMONSTRATED "Stanford could ask for no better demonstration of good will from the Berkeley campus than this. "It is because of their sincere desire to live up to the agreement for the disposition of the trophy, and perpetuation of the Stanford-California tradition concerning it, that the Axe is back on campus."

The Axe became a symbol of Stanford spirit in 1899, when it was brought out to revive Farm spirit, following the death of George Beckett, captain and star pitcher of the Farm baseball team.

"THE IMMORTAL 21 PLOT"

In the same year, however, it was stolen by Cal students who kept it hidden in the vaults of a Berkeley bank until 1930. At the Big Game that year, Stanford's and Sequoia Hall's "Immortal 21" recaptured the Axe with a daring plot that brought newspaper headlines throughout the nation.

Since that time the Axe has been the prize of the Big Game winner. It has been stolen from Stanford four times since 1930, but the latest theft was the first one of long duration since 1899.