Possible explanations for the mad gasser of mattoon exemplore. The legend of the mad gasser of mattoon was born but the case has remained unsolved ever since. The story of the phantom anesthetist or, more popularly, the mad gasser of mattoon. Founded less than 100 years previous to the attacks, mattoon has a rich railroad history and has seen many famous civil war icons passing through on their way to shape modern america. The gasser had been described as carrying a flit gun, an agricultural tool for spraying pesticide, which he purportedly used to expel. Alan watts how to see through the game the secret to life happiness duration. The mad gasser is the subject of numerous podcasts, including a 2018 episode of do go on, a 2016 episode of the futility closet, a 2015 episode of the dollop, and a 2009 episode of the memory palace. Donna greenwood yes montgomery wards was there and i bought some furniture when we first moved to mattoon in 1970. It is true not many people in mattoon know what the mad gasser story is. Some have claimed that there was indeed an attacker whilst others dismiss the claims as an example. According to his podestamattoon profile, dan mattoon is a veteran of the washington political arena.
Oct 10, 2016 the mad gasser of mattoon ultimately generated three main theories. Stories have suggested that mattoons gasser was anything from a mad scientist to an apeman although who knows where that came from. Anyway, im actually filming a horror movie with my group and the mad gasser is part of it, heres a still from the scene. The mad gasser of mattoon, also known as the phantom anesthetist or anesthetic prowler, was the supposed perpetrator of a series of alleged gas attacks targeting the residents of mattoon, illinois. The front page of the towns newspaper described a mysterious attack by an anesthetic prowler the previous evening. According to eyewitnesses, numerous sightings, and even physical evidence left behind, the town was under attack by a mysterious man in black who was for unknown reasons. The mad gasser of mattoon also known as the anesthetic prowler, the mad anesthetist, and the phantom anesthetist, the mad gasser of roanoke, or simply mad gasser was the name given to the person or persons believed to be behind a series of apparent gas attacks that wikipedia. Aug 28, 2019 illinois historian scott maruna believes farley was the culprit. Feb 11, 2020 the press later identified this person as the mad gasser of mattoon. Trn apr 1999 remembering the mad gasser of mattoon. Remote work advice from the largest allremote company. Three of them were found with crushed ribs and fractured skulls, but no visible defense marks or other signs of a. Consider americans today, reading and viewing stories over and over, day after day. Rumor, fear, and the madness of crowds by j p chaplin.
The mad gasser of mattoon also known as the anesthetic prowler, the phantom anesthetist, or simply the mad gasser was the name given to the person or people believed to be responsible for a series of apparent gas attacks that occurred in mattoon, illinois, during the mid1940s. Sep 14, 2016 who was the mad gasser of mattoon illinois. And that very same night there was a women that was attacked by a tall man dressed in all black and she told the. The incidents began on august 31, 1944, and lasted two weeks. Gasser magazine 10701 n 99th ave lot 4 peoria, az 853455415 520 7436860 ernest. To this day, the identity of the mad gasser remains a mystery, as does the reason why he chose to wreak havoc in mattoon.
The mad gasser of mattoon is probably one of my favorite myths ever. I was able to go to the journal gazette in the mid90s when the newspaper was still based intown and go through the old microfiche of the newspapers at the time of these events. Debbie carlson, the mattoon mad gasser looking back at a textbook case of mass hysteria, belt magazine, june 4, 2015. Shut the windows and change your mask filters, the mad gasser of mattoon is prowling the podcast.
Back in the 1940s, the people of mattoon, illinois were plagued by a sinister character that became known as the mad gasser of mattoon. In the video game shin megami tensei iv the mad gasser of mattoon appears as a recruitable demon for the players party. Romeo vitelli, the mad gasser of mattoon, james randi educational foundation swift blog, april 23, 2011. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Dec, 2016 the legend of the mad gasser of mattoon was born but the case has remained unsolved ever since. If you would like to participate, you can edit the attached article, help with current tasks, or visit the project page, where you can join the project and discussions. The mad gasser of mattoon in mattoon, illinois in the early 1930s, reports started popping up of a man or woman deliberately spraying poisonous gasses into peoples homes via the windows, and in some cases, building crude barricades to keep the victims inside. The mad gasser of mattoon was the name given to the person or people believed to be. More than two dozen separate cases of gassings were reported to police over the span of two weeks, in addition. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading mad gasser of mattoon. Other newspapers quickly picked up the story, and soon the entire country was reading about mattoon s rumored mad gasser.
Gasser wars magazine at the 47th annual monroe auto swap meet may 1617, 2020. The press later identified this person as the mad gasser of mattoon. A tense and fearful public was primed during wartime to believe with little evidence. The mad gasser of mattoon ultimately generated three main theories. And that very same night there was a women that was attacked by a tall man dressed in all black and she told the police that this person did try to break into her house. The mad gasser of mattoon, the novella championship run, and the poetry chapbook blue collar fathers. The good old days in mattoon illinois public group facebook. The mad gasser of mattoon, tiger king and outlandish true crime. Books by rod mattoon author of treasures from malachi. In early september 1944, a strange series of events occurred in the small central illinois town of mattoon. Just two days after the huge british airship, the r101, had gone down in flames on a hillside in france killing 48 of its 54 passengers the halting voice of a man claiming to be its captain spoke through the lips of a medium in london. Aug 05, 2017 in 1944, the town of mattoon, illinois was plagued by reports of a madman using toxic gas to target residents. Did mattoon have a mad scientist or a mad population io9. A wwiiera midwestern mystery, the mad gasser of mattoon held a small town in a gaseous grip of fear for 2 weeks with no explanation and few suspects.
Dispelling the hysteria, maruna points the finger squarely at llewellyn. Mar 05, 2018 shut the windows and change your mask filters, the mad gasser of mattoon is prowling the podcast. Bartholomew, little green men, meowing nuns and headhunting panics, 2001. The mad gasser of mattoon was the name given to the person or people believed to be responsible for a series of apparent gas attacks. Gasser magazine mid america willys club llc members page. For example, 5i is an imaginary number and is equivalent to 1. Mattoon cofounded podestamattoon, a dcbased bipartisan government relations and public affairs firm, in 1988 with anthony t.
If you know your supernatural tales and history, youll know that back in the 1940s, the city was plagued by a terrifying creature that became infamously known as the mad gasser of mattoon. Mattoon public library local history center volunteer chris suerdieck opens the mad gasser file on in the center. It just sounds so cool and mysterious, even though it was probably just a case of mass histeria. Mattoon is a city in coles county, and was the site of the mad gasser attacks of the 1940s. The real numbers are those numbers that can be expressed as terminating, repeating, or nonrepeating decimals. Jan 07, 2015 a week or so ago, i saw that an author had revisited one of the classics of the paranormal, the mad gasser of mattoon, illinois, in which a mysterious figure terrified the population of the small town by ostensibly seeking to do them in or make them ill with gas attacks. Some experts believe that the mass hysteria was fueled by the headline in the mattoon journalgazette, mrs. The number is the basis of any imaginary number, which, in general, is any real number times i. In 1944, the people of mattoon, il lived in fear of a madman that was going around spraying homes with toxic gas. Without the press coverage, he concluded, the epidemic of hysteria would not have broken out. Aug 05, 2011 the mad gasser of mattoon, also known as the phantom anesthetist or anesthetic prowler, was the supposed perpetrator of a series of alleged gas attacks targeting the residents of mattoon, illinois. Japans world war ii balloon bomb attacks on north america. Mattoon illinois in the summer of 1944 was just a typical small town of about 16,000 inhabitants.
While this may sound a bit like something out of a weekly world news magazine or a subject on a late night paranormal radio show, an entityindividual known as the phantom anesthetistthe mad gassers of roanokemattoon commited similar attacks as described above in possibly two separate time periods in 193334 and again in 1944. Emma just happens to live in the illinois city of mattoon. For two weeks a mad gasser or phantom anesthetist who sprayed a gas into the bedroom windows of innocent women terrorized the small towns populace. The list below includes 7 free or cheap things to do in or near mattoon, illinois, including 32 different types of inexpensive activities like parks, movie theaters, historic districts and bowling. On september 2nd, 1944, the mattoon daily journal gazette ran a story. Jan 22, 2017 the riddle mattoon high school year book 1927. The mad gasser of mattoon, illinois historic mysteries. Still, as a case study in mass hysteria, the mattoon epidemic is a useful example in how quickly fear can arise and how easy it is to spin out of control. Jason lee brown is the author of the novel, prowler.
Mattoon mad gasser incidents began 75 years ago this month. The mad gasser first came to notice on the night of sept. On the ground covered by a piece of plywood is the in search of the mad gasser of mattoon letterbox. He is the series editor of new stories from the midwest and a contributing editor of river styx. This article falls under the scope of wikiproject paranormal, which aims to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to the paranormal and related topics on wikipedia. Rod mattoons most popular book is treasures from ii samuel.
Come join us in the new building 604 in spaces 98 and 99. The mad gasser of mattoon history, philosophy, and newspaper. According to eyewitnesses, numerous sightings, and even physical evidence left behind, the town was under attack by a mysterious man in black who was for unknown reasons spraying some sort of paralyzing gas into the windows of unsuspecting residents. From douglashart nature center to lytle park pool, there are a variety of budgetfriendly attractions in mattoon and in nearby cities within 25. He came to be known as the mad gasser and by the time his gassing spree ended, over. Dispelling the hysteria kindle edition by maruna, scott. The mad gasser of mattoon became one of the most famous case studies in mass hysteria.
I have done, seen, and heard of some ridiculous things in my time, but nothing compares to the story that im about to relate to you. With the exception of the 1938 martian panic triggered by the orson welles radio dramatization of war of the worlds, mattoon, illinois, probably holds the distinction of hosting the most widely discussed twentiethcentury mass delusion in the united statesat least among those who specialize in studying such. In 1944, the town of mattoon, illinois was plagued by reports of a madman using toxic gas to target residents. In 1944, mattoon, illinois succumbed to the best known and most commonly cited case of mass hysteria in the twentieth century. The mad gasser of mattoon the dark histories podcast. In search of the mad gasser of mattoon chuck straub. Gasser wars magazine po box 309 snohomish, wa 982910309. One of the most dramatic and unusual events in the history of the entire spiritualist movement occurred in october 1930.
And if the mad gasser actually existed he never tried to break into any ones house before, making some believe that this was the work of someone else. Illinois historian scott maruna believes farley was the culprit. Some have claimed that there was indeed an attacker whilst others dismiss the claims as. Other newspapers quickly picked up the story, and soon the entire country was reading about mattoons rumored mad gasser.
Rod mattoon has books on goodreads with 56 ratings. Gasser wars magazine the number one gasser magazine in. Good vibrations motorsports march meet march 58, 2020. Gasser wars magazine the number one gasser magazine in the. Regarding the latter, the police chief would say that all of the gas attacks were caused by chemicals carried by the wind from nearby industrial plants, that there was no mad gasser at all. A week or so ago, i saw that an author had revisited one of the classics of the paranormal, the mad gasser of mattoon, illinois, in which a mysterious figure terrified the population of the small town by ostensibly seeking to do them in or make them ill with gas attacks.