BRITISH ACTOR LOST FROM LINER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 44, 8 March 1937, Page 6

BRITISH ACTOR LOST FROM LINER

-Prssa Aasn.-

Sequel to Party For Beauty Contest Winner UNEXPLAINED MYSJERY

'Bv Telegrapb-

-CopyrlgbT.)

LONDON, March 6. Frank Vosper, the noted playwrighl land stage and film actor, disappeared ifrom the liner Paris between New York [and Plymouth. Officers of the ship eon■ducted an inquiry behind locked doori Ibefore the liner berthed at Plymouth, 'They believe Vosper fell overboard after a farewell party held in. the cabin jof Miss Muriel Oxford, who was Misa Great Britain in 1935. Vosper during the party went on to( the private balcony attachod ,to Mis^ Oxford Js cabin at 3 a,m. aud did not return. A passenger states he heard a man in oue cabin shont: "If you won 'ti marry mo, I will jump overboard," butl does not. know whether this related toi the tragedy or in anywise concernedJ Vosper. On arrival at Paddington Miss Oxford emphatically denied that. Vosper told her he would jump overboard if ihe did not marry .him. She explained he and she talked for some time on the balcony. She retnrned to the guests and he remained on the balcony. They were * .merely friends. She met him for the first time aboard the ship and there was inot the slightest question of e love .affair. . Peter Willes, the actor, who was preceeding home in company with Vosper, says it was an accident. There was no question of Vosper threatening to jumpj overboard. "Vosper went to. bed early," he con-j tinued, "\>ufc when Miss Oxford said[ she was throwing a party we dragged'. him out of bed about 2 a.m. Vosperj w'hispered to me that he was tired and! bored ahd was going to bed. In order to escape notice he went on to the balcony presumably to climb down to tho lower deck and return to his cabin. I am certain he did not know the balcony,. did not overlook any deck and opened only upon the sea." 9 WiHea later admitted it was he who; said jokingly to Miss Oxford: "I£ yotf jdon't marry me, I will jump over-j I board."