logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2024
23m 4s

Spooky Week: The Story of the Mad Gasser...

SiriusXM and Atlas Obscura
About this episode

In 1944, a strange spate of “gas attacks” in a small Midwestern town reveals what was really lurking in mid-century America. Read Colin Dickey’s article about the mad gasser, and check out his Monster of the Month series.

Up next
Today
Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame (Classic)
A basketball fan goes to the hall of fame – and no, it’s not the big one in Massachusetts that you may be thinking about. Hear the story behind a Midwest state’s special link to the sport.READ MORE IN THE ATLAS: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/indiana-basketball-hall-of-fame- ... Show More
10m 35s
Yesterday
Local Legends Corner with Colin Dickey: Tommyknockers
Deep in the Phoenix Gold Mine in Idaho Springs, Colorado, a strange noise inspires a legend.Every Thursday this month, writer Colin Dickey joins us to talk about the cultural history behind some of our favorite spooky legends and creatures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz compan ... Show More
22m 1s
Oct 8
Famous Last Words
Today, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk is viewed as the founder of the modern Czech state – a George Washington-like figure. When he died in the 1930s, his final words were sealed in an envelope…which then passed from his son, who died under mysterious circumstances in the 1940s, to a sec ... Show More
16m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
EP. 194: TEXAS - The BROOMSTICK MURDERS: Serial Killer Kenneth McDuff’s Dark Beginning
In 1966, a brutal, disturbing crime rocked the state of Texas and sent shockwaves through the nation. Three local teenagers had been slaughtered in a small Texan town, in an unfathomably brutal manner. But what would end up happening AFTER the killer was caught, and the revelatio ... Show More
1h 5m
Aug 1
I Called the Police on My Serial Killer Dad
As a child, April Balascio noticed that people would often vanish. One time it was a labourer working for her dad, another time it was a young couple in town. Then as an adult, April started googling cold cases in her childhood towns. In 2009 she got a match and called the police ... Show More
1h 10m
Aug 8
The Real Serial Killer Who Inspired Every Horror Movie - Ed Gein
This week on Hot On The Case we dive into the disturbing world of Ed Gein, a man who on the surface seemed like a quiet and helpful neighbor but was hiding some of the most shocking secrets in true crime history. Living in the small town of Plainfield Wisconsin Gein appeared unas ... Show More
28m 52s
Jun 2025
Episode 679: The Mad Bomber of New York (Part 2)
In the fall of 1940, an employ of the Consolidated Edison Company in Manhattan discovered a bomb in the company’s main offices, along with a note that read “Con Edison crooks – this is for you.” The bomb was discovered before it detonated and no one was harmed, but a year later t ... Show More
1 h
Apr 2021
THE UNKNOWN: Spring-Heeled Jack
In 1838, a strange villain began stalking the London suburbs. For the next 70 years, Spring-Heeled Jack — a fire-breathing, metal-clawed monster — terrorized the city.  
27m 3s
Sep 2024
EP. 172 : MISSOURI - The KANSAS City Butcher: The Most Disturbing Serial Killer Story In American History (PT. 1)
In today's episode, we explore the disturbing story of Bob Berdella, "the Kansas City Butcher", who was responsible for the torture and murder of multiple men in the Kansas City area in the 1980's/1990's. This story is incredibly graphic and deeply disturbing, so listener discret ... Show More
1h 15m
Sep 25
Episode 1200: The life and crimes of veteran drug dealer 'Fat' John McCarthy
Camera-shy gangster ‘Fat’ John McCarthy was snapped paying his respect to a relative at a funeral in Limerick last week.Unlike some of his flash associates, McCarthy has kept a low profile during his decades at the of the city’s underworldNiall speaks to Eamon Dillon about the li ... Show More
20m 20s
Aug 2024
Ep. 168: MICHIGAN - Detroit's #1 Most Notorious Hit Man, Nate "BOONE" Craft (PT. 1)
In today's episode, I sat down and interviewed a man who claims he has killed 30 people. This two-part series will focus on the life of Nate "Boone" Craft, one of Detroit's most notorious hit men, who went into graphic detail with me about the Detroit gang scene in the late 1980' ... Show More
1h 17m
Sep 18
Ed Gein: America’s Real-Life Psycho | #417
We’re finally diving into the case of infamous bodysnatcher, human-skin-furniture-maker, and OG mummy’s boy...Ed Gein. A shy bachelor who terrorised a tiny Wisconsin town with his nightmarish farmhouse of horrors in the 1950s, Ed Gein inspired some of the creepiest characters in ... Show More
1h 19m
Mar 2023
EP. 101 MARYLAND - The Cannibal Serial Killer of Baltimore: Joe Metheny
On a cold night in December of 1996, a night of hanging out and getting high turned into the darkest nightmare for Rita Kemper. A man named Joe Metheny, whom she had known for a few months, invited her over to his desolate trailer in South Baltimore. Rita trusted Joe but little d ... Show More
1h 3m