By: Mark Holtsberry
Judge Wilson Hunt Snook Jr. Is another interesting figure from our county’s past. Wilson was born in Antwerp, Ohio, on October 30, 1850. The son of Wilson H. and Anna (Murphy) Snook. Both of Wilson Jr.’s parents were from New Jersey, with a background ancestry of German and Irish. Wilson Jr. had three brothers, William, Byron and John and all were raised in Antwerp, Ohio. Wilson Sr. died on November 1853, leaving a good home and a strong and sound business.
By 1860, the Snook family, Anna and three sons, and a law student named Susannah Hill, were living in Carryall Township. Wilson Jr. was reared to take to his school work. He had the advantage of common school with the skills of a retentive memory and was very studious. He also made good use of his time. As a side note, his brother William joined the Union Army in 1861, with Company C. of the 68th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He survived the war and was discharged in 1864.
Wilson Jr. discovered that farm life was not going to be his career. In 1869, he went off to school at Baldwin University, in Berea, Ohio, where he spent four years of hard studying. In the time school was not in session, he worked on the farm and taught school when needed. On January 2, 1872, his mother, Anne, passed away. Also in 1872, he was studying law at Wallace College, and was reading law for the Honorable L. S. Gordon. He applied his skills closely to be a future lawyer, but his eye was fixed on a gal from Antwerp, named Nancy Jane Graves, the daughter of Zachariah T. and Adaline (Foxstetter) Graves. Mr. Graves was a Civil War Veteran who served with Co. A. 132nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Nancy Jane was born on November 18, 1853 in Paulding County, Ohio. Nancy Jane Graves and Wilson Snook were married April 11, 1877, in Paulding, Ohio. In 1879, Wilson was admitted to the bar. By 1880, Nancy and Wilson Snook were living in Antwerp, along with their son Homer Clyde and daughter, Lee May. Wilson was an Attorney at Law. In 1884, a son, Otto W. was born. October 23, 1885, Wilson was elected prosecuting attorney of Paulding County to serve a term of three years. His abilities and fairness got him re-elected to serve the county in 1888. Also this same year, a daughter, Ethel, was born. Wilson was considered one of the county’s leading attorneys. In 1891, Wilson became the Republican Party’s nominee for Common Pleas Judge, of the district, which composed of Williams, Defiance and Paulding.
On November 1891, a case of murder was brought to his court, which involved a young man, not of right mind, and the death of two small children. I am speaking of Charles Hart and the murder of Ashby and Elsie Good. The case was taken to Defiance for a lot of obvious reasons. Before Judge Wilson, in a crowded Defiance courtroom, Charles was asked to stand to hear the indictment charging him with two counts of murder. On December 20, 1891, Judge Wilson informed Charles that the penalty was death, and how did he plea? As Charles stood before Judge Wilson, he plead guilty. After witnesses were called for the penalty phase, Judge Wilson stated, “Under the authority of the law, you will be hanged by the neck until you are dead, dead, dead.” Charles was hanged April 12, 1895. This was probably the most noted case of Wilson H. Snook’s career.
By 1900, the Snook family, still lived in Paulding. Wilson went back to practicing law. By 1910, Wilson and Nancy were still living in Paulding on North Williams Street, where he was still a lawyer. By 1920, Wilson and Nancy had daughter Lee, her husband and one grandson living with them, as well as a son and daughter in law, all under one roof on North Williams Street in Paulding.
Wilson Hunt Snook passed away in Defiance, Ohio December 11, 1923. He was buried in Live Oak Cemetery, Paulding. His wife, Nancy Jane, passed away, December 20, 1932, in Lucas County, Ohio. She was buried beside Wilson.
