Mattoon Prowler Claimed Fake

Daily Illini September 13, 1944

Plant Fumes Cause Rumors , Says Chief

MATTOON, Sept. 12 — (JP)— Police Chief C. E. Cole stated today the furor caused by repeated reports that a nocturnal prowler was spraying sickening gas thru bedroom windows was "a mistake from beginning to end."

The whole thing, he said, could be traced to fumes from a war plant and hysteria.

Apparently seeking to reassure a populace aroused by complaints that a phantom marauder had gassed 14 homes this month, the chief issued this statement:

Just a Big Mistake
"The case was a mistake from beginning to end. Local police in cooperation with state officers have checked and rechecked all reported cases and we find absolutely no evidence to support the stories that have been told. Hysteria must be blamed for such seemingly accurate statements of supposed victims.

"However, we have found that large quantities of carbon tetrachloride are used in war work at the Atlas Imperial Diesel Engine company, and that it has an odor that can be carried to all parts of the city as the wind shifts."

Commenting specifically on the case of Mrs. Carl Cordes, who became ill after sniffing a chemically treated cloth she found on her porch, Chief Cole said:

Carbon Tetrachloride Villain
"Carbon tetrachloride will leave stains on a cloth such as that found at the Cordes home. Many workers use carbon tetrachloride in cleaning shell casings, and it might be possible that one of them tossed this cloth away."

Cole's opinions were supported by Capt. Harry Curtis of the state police. Investigators said such a chemical would cause symptoms remarked by the reported victims— dry lips and parched throat. Some also said they were nauseated and affected by partial paralysis for a brief spell.

A few of the complainants reported they saw a tall, thin man flee from their yards. On a theory that someone may have been peeping in windows during the uproar over the reported gas attacks, state police squads decided to continue to hunt for a prowler tonight at least