Bluntly speaking, it means he hit him with the non-sharp side of the axe.
I heard that they axed him politely to return to his seat and he refused. After they axed him again they then learned that he had a split personality.
They chided him that if he "had half a brain" he would cooperate, but by then he was talking out of both sides of his mouth. It was reported that the last thing on his mind was.....