Was the Mad Gasser of Mattoon real?

Was the Mad Gasser of Mattoon real?

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 mid-1940s.

When was the Mad Gasser of Mattoon?

On September 12, 1944 the Daily Illini reported that 33 people had smelled the mysterious gas in the span of 12 days. Later that day, the Mattoon Police Chief, a man named C. E. Cole, released a shocking statement. According to the police’s investigation, there was no man sneaking about town, pumping homes full of gas.

What caused the Halifax slasher?

Background. The week-long scare began after Mary Gledhill and Gertrude Watts claimed to have been attacked by a mysterious man with a mallet and “bright buckles” on his shoes. Five days later, Mary Sutcliffe reported an attack on herself.

What does mass hysteria mean?

Epidemic hysteria or mass hysteria refers to apparently contagious dissociative phenomena that take place in large groups of people or institutions under conditions of anxiety. Typically, they are described as taking place in schools, where episodes of illness or fainting appear to spread rapidly throughout the school.

How did the Halifax Slasher end?

Percy Waddington, who claimed to have been attacked, admitted he inflicted the damage to himself, effectively ending the scare.

Is Mattoon Illinois a good place to live?

Mattoon Reviews. Great community, low cost of living, solid schools, strong youth athletic support, thriving local hospital, lake land college in town and Eastern Illinois 10 miles away. If you like more action, larger towns like Champaign, Decatur and terre haute are less than an hour.

Which country Mattoon Illinois is this?

United States
Mattoon | Illinois, United States | Britannica.

Was the Halifax Slasher real?

The Halifax Slasher was the supposed attacker in an incident of mass hysteria that occurred in the town of Halifax, England, in November 1938 following a series of reported attacks on local people, mostly women. The hysteria spread elsewhere and was partly blamed on a previous slashing event in the 1920s.

What is Mattoon IL close to?

Charleston, IL. Effingham, IL. Decatur, IL.

Who was involved in the Halifax slasher?