In addition to supplying daily necessities, the stone store in Newtown—still standing near the eastern intersection of Newtown Road and Fort Jim Road—served as a gathering place where residents could share stories while sitting on the front porch or huddled around the pot-bellied stove on a cold or wet evening. In the 1860s, it also became the setting for a senseless murder that put the entire town in jeopardy.

The citizens of Newtown were hard working and law abiding. There was, however, at least one bad apple, a self-proclaimed thief named Gigio. Within days of arriving in Newtown, he boasted of stealing the money for his passage to America from his parents and further claimed he would steal from someone else to repay them. 

After the fire

Gigio came to Newtown to mine, but gave that up when he realized mining entailed hard work. He took advantage of a lonely miner who had recently lost his partner, moving into his cabin and eating his food. On two occasions, the locals collected money to send him to San Francisco, but he always came back penniless within a short period.

Each summer, a tribe of Native Americans from Nevada, who called themselves “Pinons,” camped at Graystone, a meadow near Starks Grade. They built shelters of cedar bark and corrals for their horses and were experts at taming and riding them; the people from Newtown often visited the camp just to watch their horsemanship. 

One warm evening, as the locals sat on the bench in front of the stone store, a Pinon man and woman rode up. The man dismounted and entered the store, and the beautiful young woman remained seated on her horse. Gigio, who was also sitting on the bench, tried unsuccessfully to get her attention; he then approached her and attempted a conversation. She motioned him away, but he persisted, reaching for the reins of her horse. At this, she struck him with her riding whip. Before anyone could intervene, Gigio drew a gun and killed her. 

Her companion rushed from the store. Seeing her lifeless body on the ground, he scooped her up and rode away. One of the townspeople immediately headed to Smith Flat to find John Ringer, the justice of the peace. 

Gigio begged the residents to protect him, fearing “those savages will come back to shoot me.” The locals were more intent on protecting their own—and making sure Gigio didn’t escape. They quickly warned the townspeople to remain indoors, afraid the Pinons might attack the town, which had very few firearms on hand. 

Ringer arrived in Newtown at about the same time a delegation of eight men from the tribe rode in. Ringer and the leader of the Pinons discussed the situation for about an hour before they were interrupted by a gunshot. One of the Native Americans had worked his way around the crowd, found Gigio—who was trying to escape—and killed him. The negotiations continued, eventually a truce was called, and the delegation returned to their camp. 

After a tense week in Newtown, Ringer rode out to Graystone to negotiate peace. Shortly thereafter, the Pinons returned to Nevada and were never seen near Newtown again. 

Sources:

Reminiscences of Old Newtown by John Gardella; edited by Jane Voiles
Photos courtesy of the El Dorado Historical Museum.