EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE.

A remarkable suicide was committed at Prahran early on March 11. At about 11 o'clock a man named Alexander Steen, a watchmaker carrying on business in Chapel-street, near the Windsor railway station, was found dead in his bed. The deceased, who was a Norwegian, about 45 years of age, was unmarried, and for the past two months has been living alone. For some time past it has been noticed that Steen was very despondent, and appeared to think that his neighbours wanted to do him some harm, and, in consequence of this fear he appears to have been very careful in hiding what money he might have. On the morning of the 11th the neighbours observed that the deceased had not opened his shop, and fearing that all was not right, the police were communicated with, when they proceeded to the shop. After knocking at the door and receiving no response, they broke into the shop, and on going into the bedroom they found the deceased lying dead in bed, with his throat cut, and what appeared to be a small bullet wound on the side of his head. Search was made, when a razor covered with blood, and a revolver with two barrels discharged, were found near the body. A hollow belt was also found in the room, in which were 225 sovereigns; this was taken possession of by the police. The articles in the room were undisturbed, and the windows and door had been securely locked, so that no one else but the deceased could have been in the house during the night. The deceased, who was undressed, appeared to have been dead for some six hours, and, strange to say, there was very little blood about the bed, and the wound on the throat, which was a dangerous one, appeared to have been washed before the deceased had gone to bed. The neighbours state that they did not hear the report of a pistol or any other noise in the deceased's house, and it was only when they noticed the shop closed that their fears were aroused. It subsequently transpired that during the previous day the deceased called at a chemist's shop at Kew, and endeavoured to obtain some poison, but was refused. The police being informed of this, further inquiries were made, when it was found that about 9 o'clock on the previous night a person met the deceased, who was walking along Chapel-street towards his shop. Steen had the collar of his coat turned up, and buttoned tightly around his neck, and on the person in question speaking to him he appeared to experience some difficulty in answering. By this, it is thought that the deceased cut his throat before going home, but failing to inflict a fatal wound, he got into bed, and shot himself. The shop occupied by the deceased is now in the possession of the police, and it is thought that more money will be found in the place, as the deceased had a very good business, and was always very careful to avoid letting any person know that he possessed money. The deceased has been very strange of late, and there can be no doubt that he committed suicide whilst of unsound mind. At the inquest the jury found a verdict to this effect.