Gas, Fear, and Hysteria: The Mysterious Mad Gasser of Mattoon – What Really Happened? #WeirdDarkness

Long before Halloween claimed the spooky spotlight, Christmas Eve was the traditional time for telling ghost stories - a tradition I'm reviving tonight with true tales of yuletide hauntings. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV IN THIS EPISODE: Before Halloween claimed the spooky spotlight, Christmas Eve was once the traditional time for telling ghost stories - a centuries-old custom that gave us Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and brought families together around crackling fires to share spine-tingling tales on long winter nights. Tonight I continue my efforts to bring back this tradition with some ghost stories and hauntings that took place during the Yuletide season… and every single ghost story is absolutely true. SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE… Photo of the Berthelot ghost: https://weirddarkness.com/TrueChristmasGhostStories “A Christmas Carol” narrated by Darren Marlar: https://weirddarkness.com/?s=%22A+Christmas+Carol%22 More holiday horror stories from Weird Darkness: https://weirddarkness.com/?s=%23holidayhorrors Most stories were gathered from the book, “30 Real Christmas Ghost Stories” by MJ Wayland: https://amzn.to/41QrPBj Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = = (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.) = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness. = = = = = Originally aired: December 25, 2024 SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/TrueChristmasGhostStories

Over five hours of Old Time Radio Christmas episodes on the DARKER side of the holiday! Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:01:56.000 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “A Very Private Miracle” (December 24, 1974) ***WD 00:46:13.339 = American Weekly, “Christmas Eve Ghost” (December 21, 1933) ***WD (LQ) 01:01:36.189 = Dark Fantasy, “House of Bread” (December 26, 1941) ***WD 01:26:22.779 = Escape, “Back For Christmas” (December 24, 1947) ***WD 01:56:00.049 = The Whistler, “Decision” (December 24, 1947) 02:25:35.529 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “A Christmas Carol” (December 24, 1975) ***WD 03:11:45.079 = Lights Out, “Uninhabited – Christmas Story 1918” (December 22, 1937) ***WD 03:41:36.279 = Suspense, “Holiday Story” (December 23, 1948) 04:11:27.739 = The Whistler, “Delayed Christmas Present” (December 26, 1948) ***WD 04:42:15.749 = Escape, “The Cave” (December 24, 1950) ***WD (LQ) 05:11:55.728 = Show Close (ADU) = Air Date Unknown (LQ) = Low Quality ***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode listenable. Audio may not be pristine, but it will be better than the original file which may have been unusable or more difficult to hear without editing. Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness. = = = = =CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRRXMAS1

Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV IN THIS EPISODE: The holiday classic in its entire audiobook format – “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, narrated by Darren Marlar. SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS… “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens (public domain) = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness WeirdDarkness™ - is a production and trademark of Marlar House Productions. Copyright, 2023 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = https://weirddarkness.com/a-christmas-carol-charles-dickens-full-audiobook/

In 1985, John Brennan Crutchley, later known as the 'Vampire Rapist,' committed unspeakable crimes against a young hitchhiker, leaving behind a legacy of terror, unanswered questions, and chilling suspicions of more victims. Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WEIRDO WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV IN THIS EPISODE: John Brennan Crutchley was no ordinary rapist and murderer. He added vampirism into his modus operandi. (The True Story of the Vampire Rapist) *** The spooklight phenomenon caused panic in a small Missouri community in the late 1800s – frightening many to the point of moving their family away. And today, the Joplin Spooklight is still a mystery that remains unsolved despite appearing several times a year. (The Mysterious Missouri Spooklights) *** Based on its name alone, you’d think the Gympie-Gympie plant is small, cute, and harmless. In reality, it’s one of the most dangerous plants in the world – and you’ll want to stay as far from it as possible. (The Deadly Gympie-Gympie) *** We’ll end the broadcast with one of the strangest funerals you’ve likely ever heard! (Polly Wanna Tombstone) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Disclaimer and Cold Open 00:01:30.276 = Show Intro 00:03:33.800 = The True Story of the Vampire Rapist 00:17:04.383 = Mysterious Missouri Spooklights 00:21:29.579 = The Deadly Gympie-Gympie 00:28:46.125 = The Entity That Followed Me (from a Weird Darkness listener) 00:37:20.629 = Shared Worlds (from a Weird Darkness listener) 00:47:00.160 = Polly Wanna Tombstone 00:53:50.026 = Show Close SOURCES AND REFERENCES FROM THE EPISODE… “The True Story of the Vampire Rapist” by Cat McAuliffe for Unspeakable Times:https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/4erta5zb “The Mysterious Missouri Spooklights” from TulsaWorld.com: (Link no longer valid.) “The Deadly Gympie-Gympie” from TheScareChamber.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/skykszwa “Polly Wanna Tombstone” by Chris Woodyard for The Victorian Book of the Dead: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/vcd6me3n Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library. = = = = = (Over time links seen above may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.) = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness. = = = = = Originally aired: July 01, 2021 SOURCES PAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/VampireRapist

Over FIVE HOURS of Old Time Radio Christmas episodes for the DARKER side of the holidays! Darkness Syndicate members get the ad-free version. https://weirddarkness.com/syndicate Info on the next LIVE SCREAM event. https://weirddarkness.com/LiveScream Info on the next WATCH PARTY event. https://weirddarkness.com/TV CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)… 00:00:00.000 = Show Open 00:01:56.000 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle” (July 25, 1977) ***WD 00:48:25.819 = Lux Radio Theater, “It’s A Wonderful Life” (March 10, 1947) 01:49:22.969 = Suspense, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” (December 21, 1953) 02:19:20.859 = The Whistler, “A Letter From Cynthia” (December 25, 1949) 02:49:07.309 = CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “That Magic Touch” (June 09, 1980) ***WD 03:34:39.569 = The Mysterious Traveler, “Christmas Story” (December 25, 1951) ***WD 04:01:24.239 = The Whistler, “Three Wise Guys” (December 24, 1950) ***WD 04:31:04.669 = The CBS Radio Mystery Theater, “A Holiday Visit” (December 25, 1980) ***WD 05:15:46.082 = Show Close (ADU) = Air Date Unknown (LQ) = Low Quality ***WD = Remastered, edited, or cleaned up by Weird Darkness to make the episode listenable. Audio may not be pristine, but it will be better than the original file which may have been unusable or more difficult to hear without editing. Weird Darkness theme by Alibi Music Library = = = = = "I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46 = = = = = WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2024, Weird Darkness. = = = = =CUSTOM WEBPAGE: https://weirddarkness.com/WDRRXMAS2