Crimes That Were Never Solved

Mad Gassers of Virginia & Illinois

In the 1930s and 1940s, there were accounts of a "Mad Gasser" operating in two locations. The first occurred in Botetourt County, Virginia, in 1933-1934. The second was in Mattoon, Illinois, in 1944. Also known as the "Anesthetic Prowler" and the "Phantom Anesthetist," these names were given to the person or people believed to be responsible for a series of gas attacks perpetrated against area residents. The identity of this shadowy character, who was infecting peoples' homes with a foul-smelling odor, has never been determined.

The first attack occurred on December 22, 1933, near Haymakertown, Virginia, in the home of the Cal Huffman family. At about 10:00 p.m. Mrs. Huffman smelled something strange and soon became nauseated. She and the children then went to bed as the smell dissipated. However, the foul odor returned about 30 minutes later, and Mr. Huffman went to a neighbor to use the phone and call the police. The police arrived but could not determine the source of the smell and, by midnight, had left. At about 1:00 a.m., the mysterious gas appeared again, and all eight family members were affected, suffering from nausea, headache, and constriction of the respiratory system. Most stricken was 20-year-old Alice Huffman, and a doctor was summoned, who gave her artificial respiration to revive her.

Cal Huffman suspected the family had been attacked, and a neighbor reported seeing a shadowy figure running away from the house. The police once again investigated and, with the help of Dr. W.N. Breckinridge, were able to rule out ether, chloroform, and tear gas but could not determine the specific type of gas. Following leads that there may have been a prowler, they found the print of a woman's shoe beneath a window.

Two days later, on December 24, another family living in Cloverdale suffered from various symptoms, including nausea, burning eyes, and weakness caused by gas. Clarence Hall, his wife, and two children came home at about 9:00 p.m. and, about five minutes later, smelled a strange odor. Mr. Hall became so weak he was staggering and swaying, and his nauseated wife had to drag him outside. Mrs. Hall experienced eye irritation for the next two days. The police were called, and Dr. Breckinridge assisted again in the investigation, noting that the gas "tasted sweet" with a trace of formaldehyde. Looking for a prowler, the police found that a nail had been pulled from one of the windows, and a neighbor reported having seen a figure with a flashlight near the Hall residence. Afterward, Clarence Hall sent his family to stay with friends and rounded up a group of neighborhood men who spent the remainder of the night searching for the gasser without success.