“An inquest into the causes of the death of Private Rasmus W. E. Nielsen, M.M., whose body was found on the slopes of Mount Eden on Friday afternoon, was held at the city mortuary yesterday morning, before the coroner, Mr. J. E. Wilson, S.M. The deceased was a single man, aged 2l, and had returned from the front by the Marama about a month ago. He had been an inmate of the Mental Hospital since his arrival, and was committed for disposal to a Medical Board on the 14th. Major W. P. Johnston, N.Z.M.C., stated that he first came into contact with the deceased on the arrival of the Marama about a month ago. Deceased was then classed as a convalescent mental case, and on the advice of a mental specialist, was sent to the Auckland Mental Hospital. He next appeared before a medical board, of which witness was president, on the 14th, when his nerves seemed a little overstrung, and it was decided to send him to the convalescent home at Narrow Neck. Deceased had seemed very cool and collected, and it was not thought necessary to send an orderly with him. F. F. M. Elderton stated that he drove deceased and another soldier from the Mental Hospital to the Magistrate's Court on the morning of the 14th. The three subsequently lunched together, and while witness was absent, deceased slipped away on the pretext of buying some medicine. Witness did not see him again. The shot-gun found by the side of the deceased was identified by Frank Price, of the Colonial Ammunition Company, who had sold it to deceased on Thursday afternoon. The finder of the body, a schoolboy named Bernard Devine, testified to seeing the body of a soldier in uniform, with a gun across his legs, lying just over the summit of Mt. Eden. Police-Sergeant A. E. Rowell stated that at 7 p.m. on Friday he went to the summit of Mt. Eden. and found deceased lying on the southern slope of the mountain in the long grass. He was lying on his back quite dead. The gun produced was lying across his legs, a handkerchief being tied to the I trigger and also to his right foot. 1 There was a terrible gunshot wound in at the back of his head. Witness judged that deceased had put the muzzle into his mouth and fired it by means - of his foot. The gun contained an empty - cartridge case. All his personal effects ' were neatly tied together in one bundle.  Rasmus Nielsen, father of the deceased, said: "I met my son on the arrival of the Marama. I went with him  to the hospital, and I have seen him every day. His condition was improving very fast. The last time I saw him the seemed to be better and improving every day. The superintendent said a that he was likely to be discharged on the Thursday. I told this to my son,  who seemed doubtful of being discharged. He was very anxious to get  out of the hospital to get home." Witness  thought that sending him before the  medical board and his being sent to the convalescent home must have had a distressing effect, for he was in very good health on Wednesday. Witness thought that deceased should not have been allowed to go about alone, without an escort.”

[Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 195, 18 August 1919, Page 7]