Inside 11 Of The Strangest Cases Of Mass Hysteria Throughout History

Published October 8, 2024
Updated October 10, 2024

The Mad Gasser Of Mattoon: Real Or Mass Hysteria?

Mad Gasser

Eastern Illinois UniversityThe Mad Gasser of Mattoon ended up being an example of mass hysteria.

On the morning of Aug. 31, 1944, Urban Raef of Mattoon, Illinois woke up to a strange smell in his home and a feeling of nausea and weakness. He initially suspected a gas leak, and when he turned to his wife to consult her on this theory, he found that she had been partially paralyzed.

Soon, others began to report experiencing the same phenomenon. Early the next morning, another family nearby reported waking up with similar symptoms. And later that night, a woman named Aline Kearney claimed to have smelled an intense, sweet odor that grew steadily stronger — and as it did so, she started to lose feeling in her legs.

Chillingly, when her husband Bert returned home that night, he spotted a strange man lurking outside the bedroom window, wearing dark clothing and a cap. Bert attempted to chase the man down, but lost track of him.

Afterward, local authorities issued a lookout warning for a man fitting the description Bert Kearney had provided. Word of the alleged gas attacks quickly spread around town, and soon, everyone was on the lookout for the Mad Gasser of Mattoon, who was said to be pumping gas into residents’ homes.

About 30 more reports of “attacks” surfaced over the next two weeks as the town erupted into a terrified frenzy. The situation became so volatile that even the FBI got involved. However, their arrival only seemed to heighten residents’ panic, as it implied that the crimes were too serious for local police to handle.

Finally, on Sept. 12, investigators announced that the mysterious smell had likely come from gas from a nearby war plant. The police later declared that many of the “gasser” attacks were likely the result of mass hysteria. After this announcement, reports of these attacks sharply declined.

While no one knows the truth behind what caused this shocking example of mass hysteria, some have suggested it may have been perpetuated by women whose husbands were off fighting in World War II, and who were feeling paranoid amid growing wartime fears and uncertainties.

author
Amber Morgan
author
Amber Morgan was an Editorial Fellow for All That's Interesting from 2023 through 2025. She graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in political science and history, in which she earned academic honors, as well as Russian. Previously, she worked as a content creator for America House Kyiv, a Ukrainian organization focused on inspiring and engaging youth through cultural exchanges. She also served as a Public Diplomacy Intern with the U.S. Department of State in 2021.
editor
Jaclyn Anglis
editor
Based in Brooklyn, New York, Jaclyn Anglis is the senior managing editor at All That's Interesting, where she has worked since 2019. She holds a Master's degree in journalism from the City University of New York and a dual Bachelor's degree in English writing and history from DePauw University. In a career that spans 11 years, she has also worked with the New York Daily News, Bustle, and Bauer Xcel Media. Her interests include American history, true crime, modern history, and science.
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Morgan, Amber. "Inside 11 Of The Strangest Cases Of Mass Hysteria Throughout History." AllThatsInteresting.com, October 8, 2024, https://allthatsinteresting.com/mass-hysteria. Accessed July 25, 2025.