The Mad Gasser of Mattoon

It is the late summer of 1944. The town of Mattoon, in the US state of Illinois, has found itself gripped by a fear so strange, so disorienting, that even now — decades later—historians, psychologists, and true‑crime researchers still argue about what really happened. It began with a husband and wife waking up during the night, to a sweet, sickly smell. Suspecting a gas leak they decided to check the kitchen stove downstairs. Yet they found themselves unable to move their legs. Their lips were tingling and then their throats felt tightened. Then by dawn - they were recovered. The cause was unknown, but a story of gas attacks would soon spread.Credits:https://allthatsinteresting.com/mad-gasser-of-mattoonhttps://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/column-mad-gasser-of-mattoonhttps://creativehistorystories.blogspot.com/2025/08/the-mystery-of-mad-gasser-of-mattoon.htmlhttps://www.discoveryuk.com/mysteries/panic-on-the-pavement-the-mad-gasser-and-the-city-that-held-its-breath/https://thartribune.com/inside-the-1944-panic-that-swept-mattoon-the-unresolved-case-of-the-mad-gasser/https://time.com/archive/6599045/crime-at-night-in-mattoon/?utm_source=copilot.comAlthough every effort is made to ensure that the episode is researched and accurate we cannot guarantee the complete contents is entirely factually correct, and AI tools maybe used to enhance the dramatization of episodes.