The San Francisco call., 1896-06-03
CONFESSES IN
SAN DIEGO JAIL.
Murderer EbankS Describes
the Taking of Two
Lives.
HE rs READY TO DIE.
How Mrs. Harriet Stiles and
Her Aged Father Were
Slain.
SHOT DOWN WITHOUT CAUSE.
The: Woman Given Time in Which
to Pray Before Killed by
Bullet.

SAN DIEGO, CAL, June 2.-Joseph
Japhet Ebanks has confessed to the MUIR
der OF Mrs. Harrie. Stiles and her aged
father John D. Borden, the crime having
occurred at the mussel beds, few miles
north OF Oceanside on September 10 last.
The victims had been camping on the
beach. Ebanks was captured on Septem-
Der IA. His trial ended January %, when
he was found guilty of the murder OF Mrs.
Stiles Two months later Judge Pierce
sentenced him to be hanged, fixing the
date at June 10. An appeal was taken to
the Supreme Court by Ebanks' attorneys,
and the appeal is still pending.
Ebanks sent word by Jailer D. S. Wilber
to-day that he wanted to see the District
Attorney. When that official appeared
Ebanks said he had statement to make,
but would like to have Assistant District
Attorney Utley. Sheriff Jennings, Deputy
Sheriff Fred Jennings and stenographer
present. These persons were summoned
hastily, and Ebanks made confession in
his peculiar idiom.
He told OF coming down the railroad
track with one Garges and seeing the tent
on the beach. He had eaten an orange he
found beside the track, and it made him
deathly sick. He went down TO the tent
to see if he could not get some medicine.
There he found the aged Borden and his
daughter. Mrs. Stiles, aged about So. He
greeted them by saying:
I'm sick; give me something. feel as
if l was dying"
He said the old man turned around and
noticed that the muzzle of a revolver was
showing out of a sack Ebanks was carry
ing. The old man went back toward a cot
and said he would get something to relieve
Ebanks. What followed is told by the
murderer:
81 do not know that said anything to
the man at all, but it was only Just my
opinion that the man was then looking for
something possibly to shoot me with. He
walked away toward the cot and | did not
know what he was doing behind the cot.
l sat then in the chair and fired at him
and L shot the old gentleman. / did not
know at that time where I had hit MIN,
but he fell. Then the old lady sung out to
me. My God, he had no gun. l sat there
and 1 looked at him and l looked at her
and | begged her TO hitch a team and go
away and let me get away. was sorry
for what l had done.
1.-The woman said to mel do not Just
remember the first words that were
spoken-but anyway, l said to her, says l,
Now l am awful sorry for what l have
done, and his own foolishness caused it;
now, says l, what is l going to do about
it to get rid of this? The only way out
now for me'-says II know your life is
sweet and mine is sweet and we all thinks
that your life is sweeter to you than mine
is to me. l suppose You think so, and
says l. i think about the same, l suppose,
but the only way out of this for me is
to Kill you along with him, and for me to
make mylescape.'
"And l said to the woman, Il suppose l
amt got much time to think this matter
over. The best thing for you to do is to
get to praying for yourself; may possi-
bly, have TO shoot you
The woman knelt down by the cot and
she stayed there and dropped tears over
that woman; but l thought the only
refuge for myself was to shoot that woman
After the woman raised from her knees
and turned around, she looked at me and
she did not say anything. l held the gun
laying across my lap and l shot her;
where, l do not know, up until to-day.
She kind of fell back on the cot or against
something, but saw she was just in mis-
cry. The wound did not kill her-it did
not look like it to me-and l shot the
woman the second time.
with that | walked over to the cot
where this man was laying to see and to
be certain that there was no weapon there
that he was looking for to injure me-.
After examining behind the cot and
around the cot and seeing that there was
no weapon there, before God l felt worse
II walked back to the door and tried
that gun three times in succession to my
own breast, but she refused to go. l then
turned around, and the old gentleman had
some movement in some part of his body,
or made me think that he suffered, and I
tried It the fourth time on him and she
went off, and think that was the shot
that was through his body"
Ebanks concluded his confession by say
ing that his one desire was to see his chill
dren once more. They are on the islam d
OF Grand Cayman, West Indies. He says
he wishes his appeal withdrawn and is
ready to die any time.