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When Carter was sent to prison after his 1967 conviction, the story goes, he made it clear to the other prisoners that he considered himself to be Trenton State Prison's new top dog. One prisoner didn't take kindly to Carter's big-shot attitude. One day in the mess hall, that prisoner punched Carter in his right eye. The impact was so great that Carter wound up with a detached retina. He eventually lost his sight in the eye (and blamed it on poor prison medical attention, although he was also treated by private doctors). The incident occurred just a month or two after Carter arrived in the prison, according to reports. The word quickly spread back to Paterson. By all accounts, Carter's assailant was Louie Van Duyne (photo), described as a volatile man and who reportedly spent years in prison for killing his wife. During a recent visit to Paterson, I spoke with two people about this story. One is a Paterson police officer of many years; the other is a lifelong citizen -- not a cop. Both said they knew two or three people who were in the prison mess hall when Carter was punched, and both said they got the same story from each of their sources. That's what gives the story credibility -- multiple sources telling different people the same thing. One version of the story has Carter's eye being gouged out with a fork or spoon in that mess hall encounter, but that story does not appear to have any validity. Above is the only known picture of Louie Van Duyne. This undated photo was taken during an arrest in Paterson. Van Duyne is wearing arm restraints. He is said to have gained a bit of weight while in prison, and people who knew him said he looks rather thin here. Van Duyne is out of prison and reportedly has moved to another state. To see the full picture, click here. -- Cal Deal, 9/7/02 |
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