Mattoon 1944: The Gas Prowler Disappeared, and the Town Was Told It Was Hysteria
On the night of August 31, 1944, Urban Raef, who lived in northwest Mattoon, Illinois, woke to a sweet, unfamiliar smell in his bedroom. He became nauseated and vomited violently. His wife checked the stove because she suspected a gas leak. When she returned to the bed, her legs and arms felt numb and she could not walk. The next morning, a nearby mother reported that her daughter was coughing. She tried to stand, but her legs seemed locked in place.
On the night of August 31, 1944, Urban Raef, who lived in northwest Mattoon, Illinois, woke to a sweet, unfamiliar smell in his bedroom. He became nauseated and vomited violently. His wife checked the stove because she suspected a gas leak. When she returned to the bed, her legs and arms felt numb and she could not walk. The next morning, a nearby mother reported that her daughter was coughing. She tried to stand, but her legs seemed locked in place.
On the night of August 31, 1944, Urban Raef, who lived in northwest Mattoon, Illinois, woke to a sweet, unfamiliar smell in his bedroom. He became nauseated and vomited violently. His wife checked the stove because she suspected a gas leak. When she returned to the bed, her legs and arms felt numb and she could not walk. The next morning, a nearby mother reported that her daughter was coughing. She tried to stand, but her legs seemed locked in place.
On the night of August 31, 1944, Urban Raef, who lived in northwest Mattoon, Illinois, woke to a sweet, unfamiliar smell in his bedroom. He became nauseated and vomited violently. His wife checked the stove because she suspected a gas leak. When she returned to the bed, her legs and arms felt numb and she could not walk. The next morning, a nearby mother reported that her daughter was coughing. She tried to stand, but her legs seemed locked in place.
On the night of August 31, 1944, Urban Raef, who lived in northwest Mattoon, Illinois, woke to a sweet, unfamiliar smell in his bedroom. He became nauseated and vomited violently. His wife checked the stove because she suspected a gas leak. When she returned to the bed, her legs and arms felt numb and she could not walk. The next morning, a nearby mother reported that her daughter was coughing. She tried to stand, but her legs seemed locked in place.
On the night of August 31, 1944, Urban Raef, who lived in northwest Mattoon, Illinois, woke to a sweet, unfamiliar smell in his bedroom. He became nauseated and vomited violently. His wife checked the stove because she suspected a gas leak. When she returned to the bed, her legs and arms felt numb and she could not walk. The next morning, a nearby mother reported that her daughter was coughing. She tried to stand, but her legs seemed locked in place.