FELLED WITH AN AXE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 194, 18 August 1931, Page 10

FELLED WITH AN AXE.

"WILLIAM TELL'S SON."

SHIPBOARD TRAGI-COMEDY.

SKIPPER IN HOT "WATER,

A sea captain who splits open a passenger's head with an axe is looking for trouble, and when Captain Arthur W. Wooster felled a , man who was travelling in his ship, to Africa he ran into seas more troubled than he had encountered on any of his previous voyagings. The incident cost the captain his job and his company £1500 damages, but now that the skipper has risen to the rank of commodore captain of the fleet from which he was "sacked," he can afford to look back on it with a smile.

It was more than 20 years ago that Captain Wooster, who is master of the steamer City of Kimberley, at present at Auckland, was in command of the Johannesburg, a big passenger vessel trading between England and South Africa. The skipper was 29 years old at the time and only two years before had been given hie first command. Towards the end of a long voyage a fancy dress ball was arranged end unfortunately for the skipper he decided to "go" as the executioner of the Tower of London. To make his disguise more realistic he ordered the ship's carpenter to fashion him a large wooden axe. While the dance was in full swing Captain Wooster and his partner left the ballroom for a breath of fresh air. The deck was deserted except for a solitary figure looking out to sea, and as the skipper and his partner passed they recognised the lonely passenger as an English actor who was representing the son of William Tell. On his head was tied a rosy apple. The temptation proved too great for the captain. Victim "Discovered." Standing hie partner aside, Captain Wooster lifted his axe and swung it hard. His aim was bad, and instead of splitting the apple the axe struck "young Tell" just above the right ear. The actor fell as if he had been poleaxed and blood gushed forth from his wound. Captain Wooster's partner appeared likely to become hysterical, but the skipper assured her that the wound was not eerious, and, after swearing her to secrecy, returned her to the ballroom. Immediately he secured another partner and went on deck again, to "discover" his passenger lying unconscious. The man was carried to his cabin and hie wound stitched up. When he. recovered consciousness his friends asked for an explanation. "I don't know what happened, but something seemed to come down from the upper deck and give me a terrible blow," said the man, and Captain Wooster promptly offered up a prayer to those gods who take care of the men who follow the sea. The young lady who knew the facts of the case promised not to breathe a word, provided the man did not die, and as the actor made a speedy recovery Captain Wooster comforted himself that the storm had blown over. But the cat was not to be kept in the bag. The day before the Johannesburg steamed into port the young lady who had sworn secrecy whispered a confidence, and the story spread' like wildfire. It was only a matter of hours before the news reached the actor and he went straight to the skipper. Captain Wooster laid all his cards on the table and asked that the passenger should accept his apology. But the actor was not to be pacified and warned the skipper that he would hear more of it.

Aβ soon as he got ashore the actor laid a claim for £3000 damages against the Ellerman Bucknall Company, contending that, as in the future he would always have to wear a wig on the stage, his career had been materially Affected. Eventually the case was settled out of Court, but not before the shipping company had paid out £1500. "We are trying to build up our African service, and a captain who goes about hitting hie paseengers with an axe is not likely to help us very much," exploded the head of the company when Captain Wooster was put on the mat. The skipper wae then asked for his resignation.

After three months on the street, Captain Wooster returned to his old company and asked to be reinstated. His application was favourably received, but his next command was not a steamer that carried passengers. In the years that have passed Captain Wooster has risen to senior master of the well-known company, but he is still waiting to be given command of another passenger liner.