Page:Lars Henning Söderhjelm - The Red Insurrection in Finland in 1918 - tr. Annie Ingebord Fausbøll (1920).djvu/151

 and shot on the way. At seven o'clock, however, when Soivio comes out with his little daughter by the hand—she had come to fetch him—there is a sleigh drawn up outside the gate. Vuori who has now come, and a comrade, invite Soivio to get into the sleigh. Soivio hesitates, but finally takes his seat with his daughter on his knee. But Vuori lifts the little one down again, muttering something about "trespassers" not being allowed. Vuori sits beside Soivio, the other Red man stands on the runners behind them. When they have driven for a while Vuori says to Soivio: "This is your last drive." Soivio makes no answer, though, according to Vuori's evidence, he grows "perceptibly nervous." When they pass Soivio's home, he asks permission to put a basket of provisions he has with him in the road, as a sign that he has passed. The Red do not permit it. They reach the outskirts of the forest, and here the murder is to be perpetrated. But by this time Soivio, too, has made up his mind. Suddenly he throws his arms round Vuori, and tries to throw him out of the sleigh. They wrestle for a while, but in the meanwhile he who is behind has got out his revolver. It is, however, out of order, and he must content himself with striking Soivio's head with the butt-end with all his might. Vuori has let go the reins, the horse bolts, and finally Vuori is in the snow. In no time his comrade is also thrown out and gone. Vuori has got up and shoots like one possessed. But Soivio is lying at the bottom of the sleigh, and the horse is in a panic. It races across fields and meadows, the sleigh is hurled across fences, but at last Soivio can jump out at the edge of the parsonage wood. He walks quietly back to his home.

This occurrence gives rise to an investigation on the 27th February. Vuori—but not Tanner—is considered to be so heavily compromised that on the 11th March