September 1886 The Madisonville Times reports a most thrilling episode. A young lady here, Miss Mollie Bacon, had a terrible experience last Sunday. She had been visiting at her grand fathers, in the country, and the parlor of her fathers house had been unused for several days. She returned Saturday and Sunday she went into the parlor, laid down and fell asleep. She was aroused be a sense of suffocation and felt something on her neck and face. She sprang to her feet, when to her horrors she discovered that she had been disturbed by a venomous snake, a spreading viper. Miss Bacons mother tried to sweep it out. It did not seem to be vicious, only crawled around the pillow, as though seeking for warmth. It was finally killed. Another citizen in that part of town found one of these same reptiles in his house a few days ago. Betty Sellers