A bit
character in the famous novel
The Illuminatus! Trilogy by
Robert Anton Wilson and
Robert Shae. Trepomena was a born-again
Christian preacher, a
lawyer and an advocate of
censorship.
In the novel, Reverend "Smiling" Jim was determined to go down in history as the man who killed the last American Bald Eagle. He heard news that the last living member of the species was spotted in a particular remote canyon. With plans to be on the cover of every hunting magazine in the world, he packed up his equipment and went on a several day hike to reach the canyon. He located its nest and watched it until, a day later, the eagle returned. Reverend Jim carefully took aim and fired, killing the majestic bird.
Just then, a major earthquake struck. Before the eagle's body hit the ground, a giant chasm opened up beneath Trepomena's feet and swallowed him whole. Trepomena never got credit for killing the bird but was instead remembered as a casual victim of the great earthquake of May 1.