But the strangest fact of all was that the attesting witness to this extraordinary instrument was H. Huffman Browne!  It also appeared to have been recorded at his instance eleven years after its execution.

In the meantime, however, that is to say, between the sinking of the Geiser in ’88 and the recording of Mary Petersen’s supposed deed in ’99, another equally mysterious deed to the same property had been filed.  This document, executed and recorded in 1896, purported to convey part of the Petersen property to a man named John J. Keilly, and was signed by a person calling himself Charles A. Clark.  By a later deed, executed and signed a few days later, John J. Keilly appeared to have conveyed the same property to Ignatius F. X. O’Rourke, the very person to whom Mrs. Petersen had apparently executed her deed in 1888.  And H. Huffman Browne was the attesting witness to both these deeds!

A glance at the following diagram will serve to clear up any confusion which may exist in the mind of the reader: 

[Sidenote:  (Not Recorded until 1899)]

1888 MARY A. PETERSEN 1896 CHARLES A. CLARK
     by her (X) deed conveys same property
     conveys to to
     I.F.X.  O’ROURKE JOHN J. KEILLY.
     |
     | 1896 JOHN J. KEILLY
     | conveys to
     | I.F.X.  O’ROURKE
     |_________________________|

O’ROURKE thus holds land through two sources.

Browne was the witness to both these parallel transactions!  Of course it was simple enough to see what had occurred.  In 1896 a mysterious man, named Clark, without vestige of right or title, so far as the records showed, had conveyed Ebbe Petersen’s property to a man named Keilly, equally unsubstantial, who had passed it over to one O’Rourke.  Then Browne had suddenly recorded Mrs. Petersen’s deed giving O’Rourke the very same property.  Thus this O’Rourke, whoever he may have been, held all the Petersen property by two chains of title, one through Clark and Keilly, and the other through Mrs. Petersen.  Then he had gone ahead and deeded it all away to various persons, through one of whom William R. Hubert had secured his title.  But every deed on record which purported to pass any fraction of the Petersen property was witnessed by H. Huffman Browne!  And Browne was the attesting witness to the deed under which Hubert purported to hold.  Thus the chain of title, at the end of which Levitan found himself, ran back to Mary Petersen, with H. Huffman Browne peering behind the arras of every signature.

MARY PETERSEN CLARK BROWNE,
   to to attesting witness. 
O’ROURKE KEILLY
      |
      |
      | KEILLY BROWNE,
      | to attesting witness.
      | O’ROURKE
      | |
      |____________________|