ANAKROWESCAPEFROM HANGING

The following is a portion o£ the report of the trial of the bushrangers nt Gundagai:— " The c;\sns against tin; bushrangers wore resumed in the Police Oouit on Nov. 23, a charge of stalling trom I\lr Baynes, super intendent of \Van'tal>iul«ery station, a silver watch being first taken. Win. Percy IS.aynes recognised prisoners ;is the bush rangers who hud stuck-up tlie station, and described the circumstances attending the Sticking-up and the treatment the impri soned station people received at the hands of the bushrangers. Three times Baynes was apparently in imminent danger o losing his life. AVhen ho was stuck-up Moonlite offered him a long bowie knife and revolver, keeping similar weapons for himself, and challenged him to light. Some formidable-looking knives produced in Court witness identified as those which had been offered him to choose from. On another occasion, he made a remark to the young bushranger who was afterwards shot, and Moonlite, drawing a knife and then a revolver and clutching him by the throat, threatened to take his life. Later on Moon lite had him brought, aud a rope got to hang hint—a strong linking lino and saddle straps being ready for use in pinioning mm. " i have never hanged a man in Mew South Wales," said Moonlite, "and I am going to make an example of you." The buggy was brought,out to be used as a drop ; a branch of a troe was selected .is a scaffold, and Bayncs wus directed to seek the conso lations ot religion, as he had only five minutes to live. But the women ou the station began screaming, and one going into hysterics, Moonlito relented, and the super intendent's life was saved, lie recognised the watch produced as having been in his charge and belonging to Mr Jenkins, of Nangus. Cross-examined by Moonlite : The witness admitted ' that the bushrangers offered to light him fairly, and that he told witness the reason of the sticking up was that the previous night Moonlite and the others had come to the station and had been ordered away by the superintendent and insulted. 