Only Dr. George Harding was noncommital. He was reserving judgment, he said. He had to think about what he’d heard and seen. The next day he would write his opinion for Judge Flowers.

(6)

Russ Hill, the medic who had brought Tommy back upstairs, had no idea what was wrong with Milligan. All he knew was that there were a lot of doctors and lawyers coming and going to see this patient, and that he was a very changeable young man who could draw good pictures. A few days after the big Sunday meeting, he passed by the cell and saw Milligan drawing. He peeked through the bars and saw a very childish line drawing with some words printed on it.

A guard came up and started to laugh. “Hell, my two-year-old draws better ’n that goddamn rapist.”

“Leave him alone,” said Hill.

The guard had a glass of water in his hand, and he flung it through the bars, wetting the drawing.

“What’d you do that for?” Hill said. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

But the guard who had thrown the water drew away from the bars when he saw the expression on Milligans face. The rage was unmistakable. He seemed to be looking around for something to throw. Suddenly, the prisoner grabbed the toilet bowl, ripped it out of the wall and threw it against the bars, shattering the porcelain.

The guard stumbled back and ran to hit the alarm button.

“Jesus, Milligan!” Hill said.

“He threw vater on Christenes drawing. Is not right to destroy the work of children.”

Six officers burst into the corridor, but by that time they found Milligan sitting on the floor with a dazed expression on his face.

“You’re gonna pay for that, you sonofabitch!” the guard shouted. “That’s county property.”

Tommy sat back against the wall, put his hands behind his head arrogantly and said, “Fuck county property.”

In a letter dated March 13, 1978, Dr. George Harding, Jr., wrote to Judge Flowers: “Based upon the interview, it is my opinion that William S. Milligan is not competent to stand trial due to his inability to cooperate with his attorney in his own defense, and that he lacks the emotional integration necessary to be able to testify in his own defense, to confront witnesses, and to maintain an effective psychological presence in court beyond his mere physical presence.”

Dr. Harding now had to make another decision. Both Schweickart and Yavitch had asked him to go beyond the competency evaluation and request that Harding Hospital admit Milligan for evaluation and treatment.

George Harding struggled with his decision. He’d been impressed that Prosecutor Yavitch had been at that interview— a most unusual thing for a prosecutor to do, Harding thought. Schweickart and Yavitch had assured him that he would not be placed in an adversarial role “for the defense” or “for the prosecution,” but that both sides would agree in advance that his report would go into the trial record “by stipulation.” How could he resist when both sides were asking this of him?