Originally born into slavery, Newby joined Brown, hoping the raid would help free his enslaved wife and children. On the first full day of the raid, Newby shot and killed two local residents but was then shot and killed by townspeople near the U.S. Arsenal--the first of Brown's raiders killed. Local residents used up so much ammunition, they had to improvise. Newby was shot with a six-inch spike shot from a rifle. His corpse was left in the street for 24 hours. After the raid, his family was sold to an enslaver in Louisiana.