Alexander Besse, 75, whose influence was felt in many phases of Pittsburg business life for many years died at the hospital here at 8:40 o'clock last night as the result of a cerebral hemorrhage suffered Monday. The home is at 520 West Kamas. Funeral services will be at 10:30 O'clock Sunday morning in the E. K. Smith chapel with Dean G. W. Trout officiating. Interment will be in Mt. Olive cemetery at the side of his mother and first son, George. The body is at the chapel.

Elks As Pallbearers.

Lavon Graham Holden will sing "No Night There" and "Abide With Me," accompanied by Mrs. Herbert Hallman. Pallbearers will be members of the Elks lodge including Webb Tewell, Edgar C. Webber, Jack Nesch, Tom Stevenson, Earl Henney, O. E. Coulter, Arthur Fowkes and George Lageske. Mr. Besse was stricken shortly, after noon Monday while at the Machinery Exchange, which he operated at 614 and 616 North Broadway, causing him to lose his voice; the first indication of his illness. He was taken to his home and then admitted to the hospital Tuesday noon.

Property Owner.

Owner of considerable residential and business property in and around Pittsburg and the tri-state area, Mr. Besse began his business career when he was fourteen years old peddling lamp wicks and shoe strings in this district starting out with 40 cents worth of lamp wicks. He was born in La Voit-sur-Loir, France on Nov 13, 1868, and came to the United States when h was twelve years old, landing in New Orleans with only 50 cents in his pocket. He first worked as an apprentice machinist there for a period and then worked as a machinist at Parsons for a short time before coming to Pittsburg. As his peddling business thrived Mr. Besse branched out, increasing the variety of his merchandise and finally adding sewing machines to his list of offerings. About 50 years ago he opened his first store at 104-6-8 West Fifth and later added organs to his stock, selling them over the entire district. He moved to 413 North Broadway in 1900 about the time pianos replaced the organ as a favorite musical instrument in the homes and soon was offering pianos to his customers. He took considerable pains in decorating the interior of his new store and is believed to be the first merchant in Pittsburg to do this. He closed his store in 1913 and moved to an office upstairs in the same building, remaining there until December 1940, when he moved to the present business site of the Machinery Exchange and A. Besse Enterprises. During the intervening years, he had concentrated on real estate and investments. He had residential and business property in Pittsburg, business property in Picher, Okla., farm property at Catoosa, Okla., and farm property around Oskaloosa.

Interested in Mining.

He was a pioneer in the steam shovel stripping of coal land in this district. He was associated with Carl Cockerill in the Besse-Cockerill Coal Company, and was one of the first to use the bigger shovels in stripping operations. The company was started about 1910 or 1911 and Mr. Besse continued to be associated with it four or five years when the company was sold to John Italiani. At one time he owned the Oskaloosa Coal Company, which he purchased from Joe Elwood and Sam Degan. Another mining property in which he was interested was Pittsburg & Arkansas Zinc Company at Zinc, Ark. He also had an interest in lead and zinc near Joplin and near Crestline. In 1920, Mr. Besse, with R. H. Klock and W. H. Daily as partners, formed the Pittsburg Amusement Company, Inc. He was named the treasurer and general manager of the company, and held that office until the time of his death. The Midland and Colonial theatre buildings are leased to the Fox theatres by the company. Mr. Besse owned the Colonial building and Glenn Klock of Neodesha, owns the Midland building. Mr. Besse was a heavy stockholder in the Hotel Besse. He contributed heavily towards its construction, which led to the hotel being named after him.

C. of C. President.

He was a member of the Elks lodge and of the Chamber of Commerce, having at one time served as president of the chamber. A few years after coming to this country. Mr. Besse brought his father and mother here from France. They lived at Chicopee and his father worked as a miner. He, quietly played a role of charity contributing to worthy causes, although only a few persons were aware of his charitable activities. A noticeable example of his charity was a fund he made available for years to provide milk to underprivileged children in the schools. Mr. Besse was married three times first to Myrtle [L.] Smith at Lone Oak in 1889 [actually 11 Nov. 1891], which ended with a divorce. Surviving children born to this union are Harold Besse of Jacksonville. Fla., and Mrs. Frances Beaumont Howland of Denver. Mr. Besse was married in 1907 to Ethel McKillop in Pittsburg, which also ended with a divorce. Surviving children are Alden Besse, 204 South Olive and Lavon Besse, 409 West Jefferson. In November 1943 he was married to Hattie M. Gedney, who survives. Also surviving are three grandchildren, one being in the navy. - The Pittsburg Daily Headlight, Saturday, May 12, 1944