Robert Newell Andrews
Robert Newell Andrews, the son of William Andrews and Harriet Newell, was born September 16, 1839, in Ross Township, in this county, and was brought up on a farm. He received a common school education. His mother died when he was but nine years of age. In the Spring of 1861, he came to Hamilton, and worked at milling for Tanquary & Anderson, until the Spring of 1862. He spent the year of 1862 and part of 1863 in Preble County, at work in the mill for Barnett & Whiteside. He came back to Hamilton in the Summer of 1863, and worked for John Lamb in the West Hamilton Mills. He went into the sheriff's office as deputy sheriff under A. J. Rees, in May, 1864, and remained with him until his term of office was closed. He was elected sheriff of Butler County in October, 1867, and was re-elected in 1869, making a total service of four years. During his administration occurred the only execution for murder or other crime that has ever happened in this county. John Griffin was tried for the murder of Usile Prickett, and convicted at the January term of court in 1869, and was executed July 29, 1869.
From A History and Biographical Cyclopædia of Butler County Ohio, With Illustrations and Sketches of its Representative Men and Pioneers, Western Biographical Publishing Company, Cincinnati Ohio, 1882.