Students participate in mock trial

VIRGINIA CITY -- Members of the Storey County Bar will re-enact an 1896 Virginia City murder trial on Thursday at the Storey County courthouse in Virginia City.

Virginia City high school students will participate as witnesses and members of the jury. The re-enactment will be open to all high school students and the public at 9:30 a.m.

The mock trial is based on an actual homicide case involving Thomas Woodliff, accused of the murder of Thomas O'Rourke in 1896.

The case will be prosecuted by Storey County District Attorney Harold Swafford and defended by Virginia City attorney Virgil Bucchianeri.

Marshall Bouvier, a retired Virginia City attorney, will be the presiding judge. Witnesses in the case will include several Virginia City faculty members, with school superintendent Henry Kilmer being prosecuted as the accused.

According to the July 17, 1896, Territorial Enterprise account (headlined "Bloody Tragedy"), "The residents of A Street, between Union and Taylor, were startled at about 1:45 this afternoon by the sharp report of a pistol. On hurrying to their doors they saw a man staggering along and bleeding, fall in the doorway of No 10, the residence of James Spargo. The occupants went to the door and found the bleeding man was Thomas O'Rourke, who had been shot by Thomas Woodliff Jr. O'Rourke was unconscious from the loss of blood."