Antti Isotalo, also known as Isoo-Antti, Isoon talo(o)n Antti or Isontalon Antti (born 30 August 1831 in Hanhimäki, Alahärmä - died 8 August 1911 in Alahärmä) was a Finnish

farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mig ...

and puukkojunkkari, who led the criminal gang ''Isoo-joukko'' (literally, 'Iso

alo Alo or ALO may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Alo'' (film), a 2003 Bengali drama * Alo Creevey, a fictional character in TV series ''Skins'' ** "Alo" (''Skins series 5'') ** "Alo" (''Skins series 6'') * Animal Liberation Orchestra, ...

s Bunch') together with

Antti Rannanjärvi Antti Rannanjärvi (born 4 April 1828, Ylihärmä – 12 August 1882, Ylihärmä) was a Finnish farmer and puukkojunkkari, who led a gang of criminals together with Antti Isotalo. Rannanjärvi continued to make trouble in the later part of his li ...

from 1856 to 1867. Isotalo was a restless character, and his hobbies included

horse racing Horse racing is an equestrian performance sport, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its basic p ...

. He was a shrewd businessman, and felt right at home at the town market. He seldom had to gather people around himself, instead people were reported to gather around him on their own initiative. He was a fearless and ruthless fighter. Because of his large size, he was often asked to act as a security guard in festivities. Isotalo was accused of

homicide Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...

in 1858, but was released due to lack of conclusive evidence. Based on new witness statements, the court sentenced him to the

death penalty Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

in 1869. The

Senate of Finland The Senate of Finland ( fi, Suomen senaatti, sv, Senaten för Finland) combined the functions of cabinet and supreme court in the Grand Duchy of Finland from 1816 to 1917 and in the independent Finland from 1917 to 1918. The body that would beco ...

changed the sentence to 12 years of hard labour at the

Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna (; sv, Tavastehus; krl, Hämienlinna; la, Tavastum or ''Croneburgum'') is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Tavastia and the modern province of Kanta-Häme in the south of F ...

correctional facility. Isotalo is reported to have denied his guilt for the rest of his life. In prison he behaved well. Isotalo was married three times.

In court

* 1855: Proved guilty of assault with a knife. * 1856: Sentenced to fines for illegal sale of

moonshine Moonshine is high-proof liquor that is usually produced illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of creating the alcohol during the nighttime, thereby avoiding detection. In the first decades of the 21st century, commercial dist ...

and disobeying

Sabbath In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest, as G ...

. * 1858: Released of charges of having stabbed Matti Tönkä, sentenced to fines for openly carrying a knife without reason. * 1862: Sentenced to 38 lashes of a

whip A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...

and public church penalty for

pickpocketing Pickpocketing is a form of larceny that involves the stealing of money or other valuables from the person or a victim's pocket without them noticing the theft at the time. It may involve considerable dexterity and a knack for Misdirection (magic ...

. * 1864: Accused of illegal distillery of moonshine. * 1869: Sentenced for appearing in court drunk, openly displaying his knife,

burglary Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murder ...

, theft and

arson Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...

. * 1869: Because of new witness reports, sentenced to the death penalty for the homicide in 1858. Appealed to the Senate in 1870 and received pardon, but sentenced to fines, whipping, loss of honour and hard labour for 12 years. * 1882: Released from prison. * 1883: Assaulted a man but only sentenced to fines.

References

Sources

Tourism directory for Ostrobothnia: Personal history: Isotalo Antti
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isotalo, Antti 1831 births 1911 deaths 19th-century Finnish criminals Finnish male criminals People from Alahärmä People from Vaasa Province (Grand Duchy of Finland) Finnish people convicted of murder Finnish prisoners sentenced to death

In court

See also

References

Sources