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Taylor, Troy."Mad Gassers!"Prairie Ghosts.2002.Web.13 October 2015

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The newspaper exaggerated every story that was told and caused this hysteria to spread even more than it should have. The newspaper should of found out the real truth to let people know what was actually going on in Mattoon, Illinois during this two week time period. This should have been a clue when FBI agents and the Mattoon police force could not find anything and almost just decided to ignore the situation and not pay any attention. On the night of September 11, the police got so many calls, they just decided to dismiss them as false alarms. These are some things that could have stopped this hysteria before it got way out of hand.

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As far as explanations for who or what the Gasser could have been, there are many. Possible figures include anything from some kind of ape-man to a mad scientist. Could the Gasser have been part of the government testing military gas? Or could the Gasser have been a creature our imagination could not comprehend. There is no proof of what or who the Gasser really was.

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The last attack took  place on September 13. While it was the last attack, it was also very strange. The event took place at the home of Mrs. Bertha Bench and her son. They described the Gasser as looking like a woman and spraying gas in the bedroom window. The next morning, there seemed to be footprints by the window made by a high-heeled shoe. Later the Mattoon chief of police said that there was a large quantity of carbon tetrachloride gas that was being used at the Atlas Diesel Engine Co.. This gas must have been the cause.

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The Mad Gasser of Mattoon occurred in Mattoon, Illinois in 1944. On the morning of August 31, a man woke up feeling sick. He  said something to his wife about leaving the gas on in the kitchen because his symptoms seemed similar to gas exposure. The woman tried to get out of bed, but she could not move, like she was paralyzed. Reports say that a woman in a neighboring home also tried to get out of bed, and she was paralyzed too.

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Two sisters living in Mattoon had a brother who was allegedly insane. He was believed to be the Gasser and was locked in the basement until a mental institution was found. After he was locked away, their father told them, that the gas attacks stopped. This hysteria lasted for about two weeks and caused many problems for Mattoon, Illinois.

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The story was badly handled by the authorities and local newspaper reported the Kearney case and others in a wild manner. The newspaper spread the "Gasser hysteria." Even two FBI agents from Springfield were summoned to look at the case, but they did nothing to discourage the problem. A group of armed citizens took to the street and patrolled and watched, but several attacks happened anyways.The newspaper was later blamed for everything that happened.