Lore 231: Out of Breath (ad-free)

Much of the history of folklore we have today involves a community driven to panic over unusual stories and experiences. But few moments in time illustrate that pattern so clearly as the events in one small Midwestern town.

Written and produced by Aaron Mahnke, with research by Cassandra de Alba and music by Chad Lawson.

————————

Further Reading

1. “Who was invited to the annual washing of the lions at the Tower of London?” Smithsonian Magazine, March 2011, https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/mar/30/washing-lions-tower-london
2. “Anesthetic Prowler Adds Victim.” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 6, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681200
3. “‘Anesthetic Prowler’ Covers City.” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 5, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681179
4. “‘Anesthetic Prowler’ on Loose.” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 2, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681104
5. “‘Ape Man’ Now Suspect No. 1 As Gas Maniac.” Rock Island Argus. September 15, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/548001458
6. Ballenger Charles. “Fear, Perhaps Gas Too, Fills Mattoon’s Air.” Chicago Tribune. September 12, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/370396797
7. Ballenger, Charles. “Mattoon’s Gas Fiend Attacks Girl, 11, In Home.” Chicago Tribune. September 9, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/370379662
8. Baloh, Robert W. & Robert E. Bartholomew. Havana Syndrome: Mass Psychogenic Illness and the Real Story Behind the Embassy Mystery and Hysteria (Springer Nature, 2020).
9. Bartholomew, Robert E. Hoaxes, Myths, and Manias: Why We Need Critical Thinking (Prometheus, 2003).
10. Bartholomew, Robert E. & Hilary Evans. Panic Attacks: Media Manipulation and Mass Delusion (The History Press, 2004).
11. “Black Flash in Old Provincetown Says ‘Booh,’ and Are Folks Scared!” Boston Globe. October 24, 1939. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/431852373
12. “Boys on Cape Start Search for Prowler.” Boston Globe. October 26, 1939. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/431856404
13. Carlson, Debbie. “The Mattoon Mad Gasser – Looking Back At A Textbook Case Of Mass Hysteria.” Belt Magazine. June 4, 2015. https://beltmag.com/the-mattoon-mad-gasser-looking-back-at-a-textbook-case-of-mass-hysteria
14. “Chief Denies Current Rumors.” Provincetown Advocate. November 9, 1939. https://provincetown.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=black%20flash%20tarvers&i=f&d=01011856-12311967&m=between&ord=k1&fn=provincetown_advocate_usa_massachusetts_provincetown_19391109_english_1&df=1&dt=10&cid=3034
15. “Citizens Seek Action to End Mattoon Gas Raid Mystery.” Decatur Herald. September 9, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/88425524
16. Coleman, Loren. Mysterious America (Pocket Books, 2007).
17. Desroches, Steve. “The ‘Black Flash’…The Legend Lives On.” Provincetown Magazine. October 16, 2011. https://provincetownmagazine.com/index.php/2011/10/16/the-black-flash-the-legend-lives-on
18. Downes, Jon. “In Search of the Mad Gasser.” Fortean Times. November 2006. https://web.archive.org/web/20090903034909/http://www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/83/in_search_of_the_mad_gasser.html
19. “Fall Brings Out The ‘Black Flash.’” Provincetown Advocate. October 26, 1939. https://provincetown.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=black%20flash&i=f&d=01011856-12311967&m=between&ord=k1&fn=provincetown_advocate_usa_massachusetts_provincetown_19391026_english_1&df=1&dt=10&cid=3034
20. “‘Gardenia Gas’ Prowler At Mattoon, Ill.” Belleville News-Democrat. September 7, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/769373198
21. “Gas Breaks Up Church Meet.” Austin American-Statesman. December 18, 1961. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/357923319
22. “‘Gas Calls’ At Vanishing Point.” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 13, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681538
23. “Getting Gassed In Mattoon Becomes Most Popular Fad.” Dayton Journal. September 12, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/391696936
24. Heflin, James. “The Uncanny Valley: Jumpin’ Black Flash, A Cape Cod boogeyman.” Valley Advocate. May 27, 2015. https://valleyadvocate.com/2015/05/27/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx-6
25. Hereford, Robert A. “Mattoon Argues Over Denial That Prowler Exists.” St. Louis Star and Times. September 13, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/205455415
26. “History of Coles County.” Coles County, Illinois Homepage. Accessed September 10, 2022. https://www.co.coles.il.us/genInfo.html
27. “Hunt Escaped Nazi Here.” Daily Journal-Gazette. August 31, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681016
28. “Hurricane Damaged Water Heater Blamed For Fumes.” Galveston Daily News. December 19, 1961. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/30166877
29. “Intensify Hunt For Gas Prowler.” Chicago Tribune. September 7, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/370374182
30. Johnson, Brooke. “Debating the Mad Gasser.” Journal-Gazette & Times Courier. August 17, 2005. https://jg-tc.com/uncategorized/debating-the-mad-gasser/article_9813e265-c321-522b-81c1-42078c176093.html
31. Johnson, Donald M. “The ‘Phantom Anesthetist’ of Mattoon: A Field Study of Mass Hysteria.” Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 40(2), 1945: 175-186. http://ergotism.info/en/hysteria/mass_hysteria_mad_gasser_jasp_1945_40.pdf
32. Ladendorf, Bob and Robert E. Bartholomew. “The Mad Gasser of Mattoon: How the Press Created an Imaginary Chemical Weapons Attack.” Skeptical Inquirer 26(4), July/August 2002: 50-58. https://skepticalinquirer.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2019/03/Issue-04-23.pdf
33. “‘Mad Gasser’ Adds Six Victims!” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 9, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681408
34. “‘Mad Gasser’ Case Limited To 4 Suspects.” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 12, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681496
35. “Mad Prowler Takes It Easy For Night.” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 8, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681348
36. “Many Prowler Reports; Few Real.” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 11, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681453
37. Maruna, Scott. The Mad Gasser of Mattoon: Dispelling the Hysteria (Swamp Gas Book Company, 2003).
38. “Mattoon Citizens Watch for Insane Prowler; Gas Victims Mount to 17.” Daily Clintonian. September 8, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/133994468
39. “Mattoon Fiend Fells Two More With Poison Gas.” Chicago Tribune. September 8, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/370377270
40. “Mattoon ‘Gas Prowler’ Just Mass Hysteria, Police Assert.” Alton Evening Telegraph. September 13, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/26061102
41. “Mattoon, Illinois Population 2022.” World Population Review. Accessed September 10, 2022. https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/mattoon-il-population
42. “Mattoon’s Mad Anesthetist.” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 8, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681355
43. “Mattoon Memories.” Souvenir Program of the Mattoon Centennial. 1955. https://libsysdigi.library.illinois.edu/oca/Books2008-06/mattoonmemoriess00matt/mattoonmemoriess00matt.pdf
44. Mio, Leslie. “The Mattoon Gasser: Victims and Locations.” Eastern Illinois University. Accessed September 10, 2022. https://www.eiu.edu/localite/gasservictims.php
45. Moreno, Richard. Myths and Mysteries of Illinois: True Stories of the Unsolved and Unexplained (Rowman & Littlefield, 2013).
46. “Mystery Fumes Fell Churchgoers.” El Paso Herald-Post. December 18, 1961. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/798206437
47. “No Gas, Not Even Madman Seen During Night.” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 15, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681718
48. “No New Cases In Gas Mystery.” Decatur Herald. September 14, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/88427234
49. “The ‘Perfumed City’ Speaks.” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 20, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681877
50. “Poison Gas Prowler Adds Two Victims To Previous List.” Belleville Daily Advocate. September 7, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/768245656
51. Revai, Cheri. Haunted Massachusetts: Ghosts and Strange Phenomena of the Bay State (Stackpole Books, 2005).
52. “Safety Agent To Aid Police In ‘Gas’ Case.” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 6, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681233
53. Sampson, Bob. Email correspondence. October 1, 2020.
54. “Sidelights of ‘Mad Gasser’s’ Strange Case.” Daily Journal-Gazette. September 12, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/93681517
55. Smith-Johnson, Robin. Legends & Lore of Cape Cod (Arcadia Publishing, 2016).
56. “Some Say ‘Madman of Mattoon’ Is Hoax.” The Dispatch. September 8, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/340095570
57. Stalker, Harold. “Mattoon Gas Scare Laid to War Plant Fumes, Hysteria.” Decatur Herald. September 13, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/88426660
58. “Sweet Gas Ends Songs At Church.” The Austin American. December 18, 1961. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/384919416
59. “Sweet Gas Sickens Many At Yule Party.” Denton Record-Chronicle. December 18, 1961. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/24379522
60. Taylor, Troy. Monsters of Illinois: Mysterious Creatures in the Prairie State (Stackpole Books, 2011).
61. “Three Killed By Mysterious Gas.” St. Joseph News-Press. February 1, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/560113681
62. “Total Gas Victims Now 27.” Decatur Daily Review. September 9, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/88438557
63. “Two Mattoon ‘Gas Victims’ Found To Have Hysteria.” Alton Evening Telegraphy. September 11, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/26061078
64. Waters, Dustin. “The mystery of the ‘Mad Gasser of Mattoon’ who terrorized an Illinois town.” The Washington Post. October 30, 2021. https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/10/30/mad-gasser-mattoon-illinois-mystery
65. Weiser-Alexander, Kathy. “Mad Gassers of Virginia & Illinois.” Legends of America. January 2020. https://www.legendsofamerica.com/mad-gassers/
66. “‘Whiff’ Left by Phantom Gasser Puzzles Police.” Star Tribune. September 10, 1944. https://www.newspapers.com/image/legacy/181829078