The Mad Gasser of Mattoon
Fear, Fumes, and the Mystery That Still Haunts Illinois
The summer of 1944 should have been a time of patriotic fervor and wartime focus for the residents of Mattoon, Illinois. Instead, an unseen terror crept through the streets, slipping into homes in the dead of night, leaving victims paralyzed with fear—and something more sinister. People awoke to the sickly-sweet smell of gas filling their rooms, their bodies suddenly weak, dizzy, and unable to move. The newspapers called the phantom attacker the Mad Gasser of Mattoon, but no one ever caught him. No solid evidence was ever found.
Was this a deranged chemical attacker terrorizing a small Midwestern town, or was the town caught in the grip of mass hysteria? Decades later, the truth remains elusive, leaving behind one of America’s strangest unsolved mysteries.
The First Attack: A Sickly-Sweet Smell in the Night
The first report came on the night of August 31, 1944. A man named Urban Raef awoke in his bed to an overwhelming, unfamiliar odor. As he tried to move, he found his legs unresponsive. His wife, too, felt ill, her throat burning from the fumes. Desperate for help, the couple struggled to escape the suffocating presence in their home.
Initially, doctors believed it was some form of household gas leak. But then, reports started flooding in from other residents—similar symptoms, the same strange odor. Soon, it became clear: whatever was happening in Mattoon wasn’t an isolated incident.
The Wave of Attacks Begins
Over the next two weeks, Mattoon was gripped by a wave of terror. More and more families reported waking up to the same gas attack: a noxious odor, sudden paralysis, nausea, and dizziness. Many claimed to see a shadowy figure fleeing the scene, but no one could describe the attacker clearly. Some reports mentioned a tall man in dark clothing; others described him as short and stocky. One person swore they saw a woman.
Some of the most chilling reports included:
The Kearney Family (September 1, 1944): A woman named Aline Kearney awoke to a "sickeningly sweet" smell permeating her home. She felt her legs go numb as she attempted to wake her sister, who was also struggling to breathe. Outside, she spotted a tall figure dressed in dark clothing, lurking near the window.
The Rider Family (September 5, 1944): A mother and her daughter both reported nausea and paralysis after detecting gas in their home. Their neighbors saw a man running away from the house moments later.
Burial of a Clue? (September 8, 1944): A resident found a cloth soaked in an unknown substance outside their window. When they picked it up, the fumes overwhelmed them, causing vomiting and muscle weakness. The police took the cloth as evidence but were unable to determine what chemicals it contained.
Theories: Who—or What—Was the Mad Gasser?
As reports escalated, the people of Mattoon, gripped by panic, demanded answers. Was a madman roaming the streets, spraying a toxic substance into homes? Or was something more psychological at play? Investigators, skeptics, and scientists have proposed several theories over the years, but none have completely solved the mystery.
1. A Real Attacker Using an Unknown Gas
Some believe the Mad Gasser was a disturbed individual with access to anesthetic gases. Chloroform, ether, or some other chemical agent could have been released into homes through open windows, incapacitating victims. But this theory raises major questions:
Why did no one hear an intruder breaking into their home?
How did the attacker manage to carry enough gas to affect entire families without being spotted?
Why were no clear footprints, fingerprints, or physical evidence left behind?
No suspect was ever caught, and no one was ever found in possession of the supposed gas. Without physical proof, this explanation remains frustratingly thin.
2. Mass Hysteria: The Power of Fear
One of the most widely accepted explanations is that the Mad Gasser of Mattoon was a case of mass hysteria. Psychological studies have shown that fear can spread like wildfire, and when enough people believe something is real, their bodies may even exhibit real physical symptoms—despite the absence of an actual threat.
This theory suggests that:
The war heightened anxiety. With World War II raging overseas, chemical warfare was a looming fear. Could the stress of war have made the people of Mattoon more susceptible to paranoia?
The press fueled the panic. Early reports in the newspapers sensationalized the attacks, leading to more people fearing they would be next.
Placebo effects played a role. Once the first few cases were reported, others may have experienced symptoms simply from expecting to be gassed.
Mass hysteria isn’t uncommon in history. The Salem Witch Trials, the dancing plagues of medieval Europe, and even more modern cases like the clown panic of 2016 show that fear can be incredibly contagious.
3. Industrial Pollution: A Hidden Cause?
A lesser-known theory is that Mattoon’s strange gas attacks were caused by leakage from a nearby factory. The town had multiple manufacturing plants, some of which used chemicals that—if accidentally released—could cause dizziness, nausea, and even temporary paralysis.
However, no industrial accident was ever reported, and no company admitted to leaking chemicals during that time. Could they have covered it up? Or was the gas theory simply a convenient scapegoat?
4. A Hoax That Got Out of Hand
Some investigators believe the entire incident began as a prank that spiraled out of control. If someone had set out to play a joke—perhaps using a harmless but strong-smelling substance—it might have triggered real fear and set off a chain reaction of paranoia.
The problem? There were over 30 reported attacks. Could a single prankster have kept this up for two weeks without being caught? It seems unlikely.
The Investigation and Sudden Disappearance
Police in Mattoon were overwhelmed with reports and conflicting descriptions of the Mad Gasser. Officers conducted stakeouts, checked local hospitals for anyone purchasing anesthetics, and questioned known troublemakers. Yet, despite their efforts, they never arrested a single suspect.
Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the attacks stopped. By mid-September, no new reports came in. The town slowly returned to normal, but the lingering question remained—what really happened in Mattoon?
The Legacy of the Mad Gasser
The mystery of the Mad Gasser of Mattoon remains one of the most fascinating unsolved cases in American history. Unlike many urban legends, this case had real police reports, real victims, and real panic.
In the years since, historians and psychologists have continued to study the event, citing it as a classic case of mass hysteria. Others, however, insist that something—or someone—was truly behind the gas attacks.
If it was hysteria, it serves as a reminder of how quickly fear can spread and how the mind can manifest real physical symptoms in times of stress. If it was a real attacker, then they left no trace—only whispers and speculation, vanishing into the night like the toxic fumes they supposedly spread.
Even today, walking through Mattoon, some residents still tell the tale of the Mad Gasser, wondering if he—or she—was ever real at all.
Because sometimes, the scariest mysteries aren’t the ones we can explain. They’re the ones that leave us forever wondering: what if?
