Chicago Tribune, Sept 12

MATTOON'S GAS ATTACKS CALLED MASS HYSTERIA
Investigation Casts Doubts on Prowler Theory

By Charles Ballenger
[Chicago Tribune Press Service]
Mattoon, Ill. Sept. 12 -- State Police Capt. Harry Curtis, in charge of eight squads of state police sent here in an attempt to catch a night prowler believed to be spraying a nauseating gas thru bedroom windows, said today "the whole thing is a mistake" and termed it a "perfect example of the working of mass psychology in which rumors of a gas spraying prowler, spread by a community whispering campaign, blossomed into a mass hysteria."
Capt. Curtis told reporters in the office of Police Chief C.E. Cole he had investigated all cases of reported attacks of the "gas maniac" and had failed to find reliable evidence that any prowler sprayed any gas, which 35 persons said caused them nausea and temporary paralysis.

Considers It Coincidence

"I am inclined to believe a prowler may have been seen in some of the cases, but merely by coincidence," said Curtis. "No one, however, actually saw a prowler spraying gas thru windows and the idea of the prowler undoubtedly just grew with rumor." Curtis said he believed gas fumes were present in many cases, but he attributed them to several causes.
"In the northwest part of the city, where most of the cases were reported, the fumes could have been from carbon tetrachloride used by the Imperial Diesel Engine company for cleaning greasy surfaces," he said.

Fumes Traced to Nail Polish

"In another case, the reported victim lived adjacent to a bicycle shop which used a strong smelling paint remover. In one case in the western part of the city, we found a bottle of spoiled nail polish emitting strong fumes near the window of a person who reported being attacked." Curtis said his eight squads, comprising two men to a squad, equipped with mobile two-way radios would continue to patrol the city tonight. -- Wednesday, September 13, page 18