Berkeley, Nov. 18

Four spirited University of California students sheepishly admitted today that the Stanford Axe which turned up mysteriously here Monday night is not the same Axe that was stolen from UC's Stephens Union June 9.

They revealed that the Axe, which was found on the Faculty Glade, a short distance from the ASUC office, was a reproduction of the original blade and a clever one at that.

The bogus specimen was made by the father of Eve Gard, UC coed, who is the proprietor of an Oakland machine shop. It bore the stamped inscription: "Made in U.S. E. Gard. '53."

The shiny new blade, which had a fresh coat of thinly spread red paint on its surface and a bright new handle, was carefully made to specifications by comparing it to photographs of the authentic Axe, Miss Gard told UC student authorities.

A UC janitor named "Eli" erstwhile custodian of the original Axe since it was first exchanged between Stanford and UC April 13, 1899 as a symbol of rivalry between the two schools, also branded the phony Axe as false. The blade did not have the familiar eroded pits in its surface as the original relic.

Miss Gard explained that she and three other students -- identified as Ted McKinze, Paul Frakes, and Frank Cabral -- devised the plan in an attempt to "smoke out" the real Axe. She reported that the phony Axe would be uncovered at the Big Game in hopes that whoever has the authentic trophy would produce it at that time.

The plan backfired when the Tom Merigan, 19-year-old pre-medical student and head of the Oski committee, picked up his phone in Freeborn Hall Monday night and heard a male voice at the other end of the line telling him that he was interested in seeing the Axe returned "where it belongs."

The caller instructed Merigan to go to the Faculty Glade where someone would tell him something about the Axe. Merigan found no one there when he arrived at the scene, but he did find the Axe beside a big oak tree next to Strawberry Creek.

Nobody here seems to know how the false Axe happened to get mounted to the mahogany plaque from which the real Axe was unscrewed in June. The board was supposedly being kept in an ASUC office.

The Daily Californian published a story of the return of the Axe under a banner headline "Stanford Axe Comes Home!" It was not until later today that the newspaper learned about the fraud.

Ralph Vetterlein, UC Student body president, and John Kirbey-Miller, head of the UC Axe-finding committee, revealed later today that they were aware of the plan to manufacture a counterfeit Axe.

Miller said he gave the go ahead signal because the students were "acting in good faith." Vetterlein estimated that the cost of producing the imitation Axe was from $300 to $400. He added that he thinks whoever has the real trophy "won't keep it for an eternity."

But, he said glumly, if the original one does not turn up in time for presentation to the winner of Saturday's Big Game, the empty plaque on which the Axe was mounted will have to be used. The phony blade, meanwhile, will be kept in a vault in the ASUC office as evidence when the real McCoy turns up. Then the phony copy will be destroyed, he declared.

Nonetheless, Vetterlein and Miller continued to hold "high hopes" that the authentic Axe will show up at either Thursday night's Stanford bonfire rally or UC's bonfire rally in the Greek Theater Friday night.

Realization that the Axe found Monday night was not the real one touched off widespread speculation here again today. Miller said the latest they heard was that the Axe was in the custody of a Stanford fraternity house and that Stanford authorities have been asked to make an investigation.

(Stanford Dean of Students H. Donald Winbigler, Chief Counselor for Men Robert Huff, Interfraternity president Gene Dils, and ASSU president Don Lozabnick said, however, they received no such request.

(Dils made a routine investigation of several Stanford fraternities several weeks ago and found no trace of the Axe.

(Walt Parks, rally committee chairman at Stanford, announced he received a telegram this afternoon from Bob Collins, UC rally committee head. The wire read, in part: "See you at 7 a.m. Saturday with Axe in hand."

Collins, when questioned tonight, said he was referring to the phony Axe found in the Glade. "As far as I know," he said, "its the only Axe, the real Axe.")

As if the disappearance of the Axe isn't enough, Vetterlein -- baggy eyed, weary, and worn -- declared he was not so sure the Axe stolen June 9 is the one originally forged in 1899.

He said that he heard that the first Axe disappeared sometime around 1927 and has never been recovered. Past records show that Cal was in custody of the Axe that year.

If this is true it means that a phony Axe has been presented to the winner of the Big Game since about 1927.